The Stars That Connect Us
by PityThoseWhoLiveWithoutLove-95
Summary: "When you have a connection with someone it never really goes away." Mia Salvatore was the 3rd person that was in love with Katherine. She returns to Mystic Falls after her brothers and she too falls for Elena. But there's more than meets the eye with the eldest sister. Follow her through her pain, struggles, happiness, and uncovering the truth of who she is. gxg
1. Chapter 1

The Stars That Connect Us

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 **A/N: The tomb vampires do NOT kidnap Stefan. They are still planning the attack on the founding families, but The Salvatore's only hear about it because Anna tells Jeremy. So, the Founders Parade appears to happen sooner. Also, Lexi is still alive.**

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Chapter 1: The Older Sister

 _Mystic falls._

The dreadful place. I never wanted to come back here. It holds too many memories. I scan the woods as I hear the horribly loud teenagers blast their music while getting piss drunk. I roll my eyes at their stupidity. I have the face and body of a young girl no older than Eighteen, but in reality I've lived 166 years. I'm a vampire, turned by none other than Katherine Pierce herself when I was 20 years old. While she and I may have had a…fling back in 1864…and I did love her then—or at least I thought I did, she's the reason my little brothers died. I hate her. I died that night too, but I didn't care because it was _me._ My little brothers, Stefan and Damon, unnecessarily lost their lives for her. She's the reason for their strained relationship and the reason Stefan and I became rippers. Tonight is the night Damon has set to open the tomb. I only just arrived back in town the night Stefan dug up our father's grave for the Bennett spell book. I knew exactly when the comet passed Damon would be back. He made the mistake of telling me 15 years ago, the last time we met. I hadn't seen Stefan in almost 35 years—the last time we had gone on a ripper spree. Imagine the surprised look on their faces when I came out from hiding and grabbed Elena from Damon's arms. Elena looked so much like Katherine, I had to hear her heart pound against her chest to believe that it wasn't her…

 _Flashback:_

 _Stupid Damon! I curse in my head. I hope I'm not too late. Knowing Damon, he probably already opened the tomb and whisked Katherine away almost a month ago—before I even got the chance to drive a stake through her heart and watch her decay away. I should've gotten to this town sooner! Ugh. Stefan's here, somewhere. I've been avoiding him too…_

 _I'm racing through the woods, following Damon. He enters the clearing…has he not opened the tomb yet?_

 _I hide behind a tree and quietly listen to the situation._

" _Well, what do you know? This is an interesting turn of events…" I roll my eyes at Damon's dramatics. Some people really never change…_

 _I try to silently move closer to hear better. I think I hear Stefan say something with regret in his voice._

" _So am I, for thinking for a second, that I could trust you." Damon sneers. Is this sibling rivalry ever going to stop?_

" _Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself." I hear Stefan say proudly. Wrong move, Stefan. This is impulsive Damon we're talking about. He's practically my twin in both looks and personality. I smile inwardly as I remember Katherine calling me Female Damon and him Male Mia._

" _Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan. But you," I hear him pause. Who? Is he talking about me? Does he know I'm here too?_

 _I lift my head up slightly from my hiding spot, just enough to get a glimpse of what was going on. I see Damon looking at something a bit further from my line of vision._

" _You had me fooled." Damon says sadly. He's talking to someone next to Stefan._

 _I quickly, but quietly move to the next tree to my right. I see Stefan holding a girl in his arms. He's protecting her…? Are my two thickheaded brothers fighting over a girl, again? As if the first time wasn't enough!_

 _I strain my neck to see this girl that has my younger brothers wrapped around her finger. My breath hitches and my eyes go wide. My palms become sweaty. I feel…excitement? And If I'm really being honest, I feel happiness…_

 _Katherine…_

 _My body freezes as I realize how I feel. I've convinced myself to hate her years ago, but now when I come face to face with her for the first time in over a century. I feel every emotion but hate. Every good emotion that made me fall in love with her back in 1864. What is it about Katherine that makes it impossible for me to hate her?_

" _So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out." Damon says menacingly. He wouldn't do that to Katherine…_

 _I hear something…something that I should not be hearing with four vampires. A heartbeat. I follow the sound and my eyes narrow when I realize it's coming from Katherine._

" _You won't kill her." Stefan says confidently. It's a dangerous game he's playing by calling Damon's bluff._

 _I see the terrified look on Katherine's face, and I feel my eyes squint in confusion. She isn't acting anything like the Katherine I remember. What the hell?_

 _My eyes find hers automatically. She isn't looking at me, but I see all I need to._

 _That isn't Katherine. Her eyes are different. They're softer…kinder. Katherine's eyes only looked so soft when I would sneak into her room at night and drag her down to the waterfall in the moonlight. They were always soft, and unguarded around me…It's a subtle detail, and if I hadn't been so good at reading people, I probably wouldn't have noticed it. But the thing is, I don't miss much when it comes to people. Especially when it came to Katherine._

 _I see Damon nod his head in agreement. Then, with movement too fast to see with the normal human eye, he grabs the Katherine look alike, and holds her hostage with his arms._

" _I can do one better." I see Damon lift his wrist to his mouth. He wouldn't dare!_

 _He bites down, and pulls the girls head back to force his blood down her mouth. She struggling to pull away as her eyes are wide in fear. Her eyes begin to tear up as he presses his wrist to her lips. That's enough._

 _I speed over to Damon just before any blood can get past her lips. I twist Damon's arm behind his back to prevent him from feeding her his blood. I grab the girl, while Damon screams and launches at Stefan for the book. I have the girl in my arms, bridal style, as I watch my idiot brother, Damon try to take the book from Stefan._

 _I was in and out. I doubt either of them could make out who actually saved her because It literally took me 1 second to go in, twist Damon's arm, grab Katherine's human look alike, and speed her away. I've always been a fast runner, even as a human. Damon's distracting Stefan by trying to snatch the book. I glance down at the human in my arms, her brown doe eyes wide with curiosity. I can hear her heart pounding against her chest…such a beautiful sound…_

" _Why hello there," I say, smiling softly. "I'm Mia…Mia Salvatore. The older sister of those two idiots over there."_

 _She stares at me in shock. Don't Stefan and Damon talk about me? I study her face, my mouth slightly agape as I stare at her in awe. She looks exactly like Katherine. It's fascinating…how can she look so much like a vampire who's centuries old?_

 _She looks away from me, blushing slightly._

" _Forgive me…it's just, you look an awful like—"_

" _Katherine," Her voice! She even sounds like her! "I look exactly like Katherine, right?" I shiver._

 _This was the same voice that could make my knees go weak with one word. The voice I told myself if I ever heard again, I'd kill whomever it belonged to; Katherine or not, I would kill them. I sigh at my weak resolve to grow to hate the woman who stole my heart…but it's about my brothers. She ruined their lives. She fed them her blood even after she promised not to._

" _You do. Almost freakishly so…but I can tell that you are nothing like her. You're much more compassionate." I say, studying her face some more._

" _You loved her too…" I hear her say sympathetically._

 _I chuckle sadly._

" _That obvious, huh?"_

" _Just a little bit," She smiles softly. "It's the way you looked at me. No one looks at someone like that unless they love them. Since you're almost an exact female replica of Damon, but with bluer eyes and softer features, I'd figured you were their sister. It seems Katherine wanted all of you…I can't say I blame her, though, the three of you are extremely attractive." She says causally like it was the most obvious thing in the world._

 _I smirk seductively, "Glad to know you consider me extremely attractive, Miss…?" I trail off, waiting for her to tell me her name._

 _She shifts uncomfortably, but it's just the kind of uncomfortable I'm looking for. She's attracted to me._

" _Gilbert. It…it's E—Elena Gilbert." I smile inwardly at her stuttering. She's a Gilbert, huh? Interesting._

" _Well, Miss Gilbert, I'm flattered that you find me attractive along with my idiot brothers. Do I stand a chance? Do I stand a chance at winning your heart?" I ask raising my eyebrows in question._

" _I…I…can't. I'm with Stefan. I love Stefan. I can't do that to him. I'm sorry." She says desperately. Although she didn't exactly say no…_

 _No. I refuse to have a repeat of the 1864 fiasco with Katherine._

" _Don't apologize, Elena. I haven't seen Stefan in almost 40 years. I had no idea that my quiet youngest brother captured your heart. So I'm the one who should be apologizing. I hope I haven't missed my chance for your friendship though." I recover smoothly._

 _She chuckles, "No you haven't. You saved me from whatever Damon was planning and I can't thank you enough, but besides that, you seem like you'd make a very interesting friend."_

" _So, we're friends?" I ask hopefully._

 _She laughs, "Definitely."_

 _Her eyes lock with mine for a split second before we hear a tree fall. Shit!_

" _Elena, I have a plan. Help me convince Stefan to let Damon have the book. He's not going to leave until he does. He's too impulsive when he doesn't get what he wants, and he obviously has no problem killing anyone if he doesn't. He can get Katherine and leave town..."_

" _Won't you go too?" She asks sadly. It almost sounds like she'd actually be hurt if I left._

" _No. I didn't spend the last 145 years obsessing over her. I'll probably always love her, but no. Katherine's done enough damage to my life."_

 _Another crash. What the hell? Are these two going battle Royale in the woods?_

 _I gently let Elena out of my arms and flash over and grab Damon's arm as he's about to stab Stefan in the stomach with a tree branch._

" _I gotta say, 145 years of this shit does get a bit old, don't you think?" I say sweetly in Damon's ear._

 _I feel him tense, "You too?! Well isn't this peachy?" Damon spits out._

" _Aww…I missed you too, little male version of me." I chuckle as I pry the branch from his hand, "Still as weak as ever, huh? Some things really don't change…" I tease._

" _Obviously not. What are you doing here, Mia?"_

" _Well, I heard through the grapevine that my two younger brothers were back in our hometown and I thought, why not pay them a visit. I haven't seen Stefan in ages, and you Damon…I saw you what? 15 years ago? Where you openly bragged about how a comet, that would pass in 15 years, was the key to opening the tomb where our past lover is currently sealed."_

" _You remembered that? Damn you, Mia!" Damon yells. He begins to struggle but I hold him in place._

" _Of course. Not every day your brother celebrates a comet that still has 15 years to pass."  
"So let me guess, you're here to rescue Katherine?" I chuckle. No, foolish little brother. It's the exact opposite, actually._

" _Yes. Why wouldn't I? It's been far too long…"_

 _My eyes meet Stefan's who's backed into a tree. I blink one eye at him three times. I hope he remembers. Stefan and I made it up when we lied to an adult and wanted to let the other in on it._

 _He nods his head slightly. Good._

 _I see Elena walking up from the corner of my eye and my dead heart flutters. I let Damon go. "Give him the spell book, Stefan. Once Katherine is rescued we'll let her decide who she wants. Either way, with or without Katherine, we both leave town."_

 _Damon reaches out for the spell book. I grab his arm again, "Also, you are not allowed to kill or harm Elena, her family, friends, or whomever she says while you're here, Damon. What you did earlier was desperate. It was disgusting, actually, that you'd stoop so low and force vampirism on an innocent teenager." I spat in disgust. Elena looks relieved at my words and mouths, "thank you." Which I nod my head and send a seductive smirk at her. She blushes and turns away._

" _Fine. I won't harm a pretty hair on her or her loved one's heads. But when Katherine chooses me—and she will, don't go back to a Ripper again. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime between you and Stefan." My face hardens as I feel my anger rising. I see Elena staring with wide eyes. I didn't want her to know…yet. It's okay…I can handle this._

" _I mean, I understand if you do, you know, go all ripper rippy. How long has it been since you've lost control? 30, 40 years? You must be dying to rip out someone's jugular."_

 _I growl as my fangs protrude and I throw Damon into the nearest tree. I pick up the branch to stab him while he's down._

" _Stop, Mia! It doesn't matter…please! You'll just regret it later!" I hear Elena's voice through my anger clouded mind. My arm stops in midair. I feel my fangs retract and the veins around my eyes smooth back to normal._

 _My hand loosens on the branch. I sped back to Stefan who looks relieved. I pick up the book._

 _I toss it to Damon without looking at him, "Hurry up and get the tomb open. Then I don't want to see you for at least another 145 years. I don't care what happens to you. Good riddance!" I yell to him. "They were wrong, you know, when they would say we had the same personality…I may struggle with my bloodlust when I get depressed, but I would never do what you did tonight," My voice trembles slightly. I push my tears back as I continue, "I would never taunt you if you struggled with being a ripper. I would never make you feel like shit over something you honestly couldn't help! But the most important thing is, I would never force my blood down anyone's throat! So yeah, tease me because I was a ripper, but you're the real monster, perhaps you and Katherine are perfect for each other after all." I speed away from them before I let my tears freely fall down my fast. I finally stop and lean against a tree when I'm certain I've gone far enough so they won't hear me cry. My legs give out on their own accord and I slide down the trunk of the tree, bringing my knees to my chest. I silently sob my heart out._

* * *

I shake my head. I have to stay focus and mentally prepare myself to kill Katherine. The fact that she's been in the tomb for over 145 years without blood will make her easier for me to kill. She'll appear to be mummified and will have little resemblance to the woman I loved in 1864. I'm going to try to beat Damon to Katherine. He can't see me do it. If he does…he'll attack me and I will probably have to kill him too. I don't want it to come to that.

My eyes narrow as I see Bonnie, and her grandmother descend down the steps to the tomb.

 _This is it._

Damon follows suit of them, dragging Elena by her arm. My jaw clenches when I see them. Why the hell is Damon dragging her like that?

I decide to stay hidden. I'll know when the tomb is open.

I hear Bonnie and her grandma chanting the spell to open the tomb. Suddenly, I hear stone clinking.

It's time…

I descend down the steps in a flash. Stopping when I notice Elena is missing.

"Where is she?" I demand.

I look between Bonnie and her grandma. My anger rising, because I think I know exactly what happened.

"He dragged her in there with him!" Bonnie says frantically.

I growl.

My vision is clouded with anger as I feel my fangs grow.

There's a loud scream and my heart sinks… _Elena_.

I dash inside the tomb, ignoring Bonnie's pleas to stay outside as I went.

 _Damnit_!

I bump into someone during my anger fueled running. I growl as I quickly recognize them.

"Well isn't this a surprise. Mia Salvatore. You know…my mother got caught because of you." Anna says angrily as the veins form around her eyes.

I bare my fangs in response.

"Wrong sibling, Anna. I didn't sell you all out. My younger brother, did." I tell her through clenched teeth.

My anger is making it hard to think rationally at the moment.

I hear her chuckle, "I know it was Stefan who sold us out, but it was you who unknowingly made Katherine decide to keep us all there longer. She couldn't get away from you, she _wouldn't_ leave you. But that all backfired didn't it? And my mother paid the price!" Anna says baring her perfectly pointed teeth.

I see red. How dare she talk about me and Katherine's relationship like she knew! She didn't know anything!

"I don't give a damn how close you and Pearl were to Katherine! You have no right to speak on our relationship!" I screamed. My anger got the best of me and I flashed in front of Anna holding a stake in my right hand.

"You should've been dead anyway…" I hiss, right before I go to stab her. Suddenly I feel a strong pair of hands wrap around my neck before I black out.

* * *

 _ **Stefan POV**_ :

I run as fast as I could through the maze like tomb.

I need to find Mia…where is she? Elena is safe. Now I need my sister. My foot steps on something hard. _Mia?!_

"Stefan, Bonnie and her grandma are holding the tomb open for you…we need to hurry or you won't be able to leave!" Her eyes widen when she sees Mia, unconscious at my feet.

"Did Damon do this? Where is he? Stefan, we have to save her!" Elena kneels down and attempts to carry Mia. I quickly grab Mia from her.

"We need to find Damon, Elena. He's my brother too…"

"We have to hurry! I'll come with you!" We don't waste a second before we start running to find Damon. We reach the end of the tomb, and Elena flashes her torch for light.

"She's not here!" Damon screams as he throws a blood bag at the wall. He's lost all of his resolve…

His eyes land on Elena and for a second relief flashes in them. For one second he thought he was looking at Katherine.

"Damon. We have to go now. The tomb won't stay…please do it for me. We need you." Elena tries to reason with him. His eyes are broken. I can't blame him. 145 is a long time to love someone…

He reluctantly walks towards us. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

* * *

 _ **Mia POV**_ :

 _I open my eyes to as I feel my bed weigh down like someone sat at the edge. My eyes feel heavy as I open them._

" _You're definitely the only woman in history that somehow manages to still look like a flawless angel when they first awake." I hear a chuckle._

" _Hmh, Katherine." I grumble as my body is fighting to make me stay asleep._

 _She giggles, "Mhm, did you miss me?"_

" _You know I did. But you've found yourself preoccupied with my younger brothers." I say rather bitterly._

" _Of course! If I hadn't, everyone would be suspicious as to why I've been spending so much time with you."_

" _Whatever, Katherine. I'm tired and I want to finish resting." I say turning over in my bed._

" _The sun is nearly high, Mia. It's improper for a lady to sleep—"_

" _Goodbye, Katherine!" I say sternly._

" _Oh? Are you jealous of them?"_

 _That's it._

 _I jump out of bed and stomp my way to Katherine who is now leaning on a nearby wall. Her smirk grew as my anger rose._

 _I wrap my hand around her chest and slammed her into a wall. My breathing is uneven._

 _Katherine looks surprised at first._

" _Feel better?" She smirks seductively._

 _I swallow hard as I realize how aroused this is making me._

 _I look into Katherine's lust darkened eyes as my hands rest at the sides of her waist._

 _She chuckles darkly, "There's my Mia-blue. Always so aggressive with me." She hooks her arms around my neck._

 _My lips move to her neck without any hesitation. My tongue swirls around her pulse point before nibbling it._

 _Katherine gasps and my hands began to roam her body._

" _Mia…stop. We really don't have time…" Katherine giggles in my ear._

" _So what?" I mumble into her skin._

 _"Your father wants all of you to spend some time with him." She tries again between gasps._

" _I don't care. Fuck them. I want you." I grumble._

 _She laughs softly._

" _Tonight. You wanted to learn more about vampires. I'll teach you."_

 _My eyes widen._

" _Will you finally turn me tonight?"_

" _No. Not tonight. First, you must learn. I'll be a good teacher, if you are a good student." She winks at me._

" _Of course I will. I would do anything for you, Katherine. Always."_

The scene before me gets cloudy. My eyes refocused as Katherine's eyes still bore into mine.

"Kath…Katherine?" I say hoarsely. My throat burns from my lack of feeding.

"Mia. It's me. Elena." _Not_ Katherine.

My eyes must've shown my disappointment because she quickly said, "I know. I'm not who you were expecting. I'm sorry."

"What happened? The tomb! Did Damon find Katherine? Where is she?" I try to force myself out of the bed but Elena holds me down.

"Mia, I need you to listen. You have to feed. You had your neck snapped by Damon and then he injected vervain in your system. Stefan went to keep an eye on Damon, but he said if you wake up that I have to get you a blood bag."

Suddenly, I get a whiff of Elena's blood. I hear her beautiful heart pounding in her chest. My fangs protrude through my gums.

"No need for a blood bag. You smell so good, Elena…we've become good friends…I hope that you like me enough for a taste." I bring my nose to the crook of her neck and take a long sniff.

"Just…a small taste…" She struggles a bit, but not nearly as much as one should. It's almost like she wants me to bite her.

My vision becomes blurry as my bloodlust takes control.

I pull back for a second to look at her face. I move a strand of hair out her face. "You're beautiful, you know…" I say to her just before I sink my teeth in her throat.

She gasps softly as my fangs pierce her skin. Her blood is nothing like I've ever tasted before. There's something about it that makes it special.

Suddenly my eyes snapped open and my fangs retract.

I recoil as if I've been burned. I look in horror at what I did.

Elena…she's holding her wound with her hand. Those beautiful brown eyes looking at me with concern.

"Elena…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me…I suck. I've ruined our friendship! I don't deserve you!" My breathing is erratic and my heart aches with grief.

"No no no, Mia. Please, it's fine. I enjoyed it. Don't hurt yourself! It'll be our secret. Okay?" I nod my head. She crawls over and gives me a friendly hug, much to my dismay.

"Here." I say as I bite my wrist. I offer it to Elena who drinks just enough to heal her bite mark.

"Elena? Tell me what happened the night the tomb was open. Where's Katherine?"

The sadness on Elena's face told me all I needed to know.

"She chose Damon, didn't she?" Why should I care? Katherine was dead to me many, many years ago. I don't care about her choosing Damon. They deserve each other!

"No, Mia, it isn't like that. Katherine…she was never in the tomb. We've been trying to find Anna and Pearl to see if Anna has seen her at all. Damon's really hurt from all this."

My eyes widen in shock, quickly followed by a dark chuckle. "Guess there really weren't any rules, right? _No rules_."

I stand up and gave Elena a hug. "I'm sorry, Elena. I won't ever harm you again." I whisper into her neck before I dash out of the window.

I need to find Pearl and Anna.

* * *

After hours of searching I finally found them…

"Anna." I say softly. I was always considered fast, even for a vampire. She didn't even hear me come.

"Mia. Why are you here? If my mother sees—"

"Isn't this a pleasant surprise. Mia Salvatore, the third person in the Salvatore tug of war. Although no one really knew that…" I glare at her. I never had a problem with Pearl until the last few weeks before they were caught.

"Pearl." I nod my head towards her before turning my attention back to Anna.

"Anna, can I talk to you. Alone?" I add once I see Pearl couldn't take the hint.

Anna nods her head to her mother, signifying her to to leave.

"Did you know Katherine wasn't in the tomb?" My straightforward question obviously takes her by surprise.

"First Damon, now you too. Yes, I knew." I feel my anger rising at her words. _She knew_.

" And you didn't think this was valuable information to—you needed the tomb opened for your mother." My anger is suddenly fading at the realization.

She nods her head, "I understand. Damon's distraught. He expected Katherine to be in that tomb. He waited 145 years to be with her again." I let out a deep sigh. This is so much harder than I thought.

"You want to know where she is, don't you?"

"Yes. I haven't been the best big sister to either of my brothers for 145 years. I think I owe Damon this much." Anna studies my face hard for a moment before she continues.

"If I tell you everything that I know, well at least what Katherine has said, you must promise not to tell Damon. Maybe not even Stefan either, okay?"

"I won't. I promise."

Anna takes a deep breath before she begins to talk. I'm more than curious now because it must be big if she made me promise to keep it from my brothers.

"Last I saw Katherine was in Chicago in 1983. We bumped into each other by complete coincidence. I wasn't exactly thrilled to see her but I knew my mother didn't blame Katherine for ensuring her survival. She has a lot more enemies than either of us. We talked for a while, basically playing catch up. Eventually we ended up talking about our time in mystic falls. She apologized for my mother. I accepted it and told her that I blamed you. She seemed genuinely confused as to why I would blame the wrong Salvatore, but then I told her why."

Anna takes a long pause.

Honestly, can she get any more dramatic?

"I told her that it was your fault that we didn't leave when people started to get suspicious. Katherine was so…intrigued by you that she didn't want to leave Mystic Falls. I brought up the fact that Damon had basically grown obsessed with her. She knew where Damon was…she didn't care. When I told her that I heard you were a ripper and had gone on a blood lust rampage just a few weeks before, I swear—this might be my imagination—but her eyes grew sad. Even if it was for a moment. She was sad about your struggles. I could tell. After that she kept asking if I heard anything else about you. She covered it up by saying that you were the only Salvatore that she had no clue where you were. Maybe she was telling the truth, but you didn't see her eyes, Mia. Your eyes don't look like that over someone unless you love them. Katherine may be a bitch, but she's not completely heartless. She know she was playing a dangerous game by keeping us in Mystic Falls longer, but she did it because she wasn't prepared to leave you."

I sit frozen.

 _Me? Katherine cared about me more than my brothers?_

"She's a manipulative bitch, Anna. Thank you for answering my question, though." I stand to leave but Anna grabs my arm.

"Say what you want, Mia, but Katherine risked not only her life but 27 other vampires as well. Including me and my mother and we've known Katherine about almost 200 years before our time at Mystic Falls. That was never apart of the plan...she got caught, and had to alter the plan a bit all because of you. You don't do that for just anyone. Please know that Katherine isn't as heartless as you _Salvatore's_ think." I glare at Anna for a second before I yank my arm out of her gasp.

"If she isn't as heartless as we _Salvatore's_ think, then why has she gone 145 without a trace? Hmm, why would she pretend to be in a tomb? Katherine had 145 years to contact us to tell the truth. She didn't. Instead she pretends to be rotting away in some tomb under the Fell's church!" I scream as my face vamps out. My face tingles as the veins begin to form around my eyes.

Anna looks at Pearl, silently asking for permission to say something. I squint my eyes at their interaction.

"Something you want to tell me?" I growl impatiently. My tolerance is below 0 at this point...

"No...Anna told you she hasn't seen Katherine since 1983. I've been locked away in a tomb since 1864. I'm not even sure if she knows I'm out yet. I have some friends around the country that are keeping their eye out for her. She was a close friend of mine so i am confident that i know her patterns. I'll find her, and will let you know when i do." Pearl replies calmly. I nod my head. Pearl's got at least 500 years on me. She'll put up a good fight...not to mention Anna too. There's nothing i can do but accept what she's saying.

"Thank you. I trust what you're saying, and I apologize for being the true reason behind your capture. As long as you keep the tomb vampires under control then I have no problem with either of you. I'm happy you got your mother back, Anna. Take care..."

Before Anna could or Pearl could say anything, I'm already gone. I need to feed to regain my strength from being injected with vervain. That reminds me, I need to see Damon after I hunt. We need to have a chat.

* * *

 _ **Elena P**_ _OV:_

Deciding to take a drive while it's close to dark is simply amazing and peaceful. I asked Aunt Jenna before I left if I could be a few minutes late to dinner. I really just need to clear my head. This whole thing with Katherine was too much on Damon _and_ Mia. I wondered had the roles been reversed and I was in a relationship with Mia, would Stefan really be over Katherine? Or would he be like Mia or worse, like Damon? Even though Mia tries her best to hide her feelings for Katherine, I can still she still loves her. Mia may be content with lying to herself about Katherine, but anyone who truly pays attention could see that Mia is still in love with her.

The disappointment in her eyes when she found out I wasn't Katherine told me everything I needed to know. Maybe if I had met Mia first, I would probably be in a relationship with her. My breath hitches in my chest as I realized I basically admitted to myself that I'm attracted to Mia that way. _But who wouldn't be?_ Katherine was even back in 1864. Back when same sex couples were practically shunned with disgrace.

It's funny because from the moment I met her I could tell she was someone whom I'd always want to be around. I wanted to be close friends with her because I could feel a pull towards her...I'm not even sure I understand it myself, but i can feel some sort of connection with her. I'm glad i can be friends with her...

I slammed my foot on the breaks as I see someone in the middle of the road, causing me to snap out of my thoughts.

What the...?

I strain my eyes through the window of the car to see who it is. My eyes widen in horror as I realize it's Mia.

I quickly put my car in park and rush out of the car. The only sound that fills my ears is the sound of my feet and my rapid heartbeat. It's then I notice her eyes are closed.

She looks so peaceful.

"Mia! What's wrong?! Are you hurt?" My voice is shaking as my tears start to flow.

Suddenly her eyes snap open. She stares at the sky with a blank expression. "No. I don't feel anything." Her voice is monotone and holds no emotion.

"What happened?" I ask her, sinking down to my knees beside her.

"Nothing. I don't feel anything." She says simply. My eyes water with tears. Why is she acting like this?

Is it my fault?

"If this is about earlier, I told you not to worry about it." I say softly. My hand reaches to smooth her beautiful dark brown curls.

"Don't touch me. I told you, I don't feel anything. I don't need your pity, Elena. Go back to Stefan. I don't need any of you." I jolt back as if I've been burned. My chest tightens painfully as I fully process what she said.

"Mia I—"

" _Elena, get away from her! Her humanity is turned off! She isn't herself, please!"_ Stefan's voice rings from behind me.

My eyes go wide as I stare down at Mia.

"Now now, Stefan. You don't think I'd actually harm our dear Elena, do you? She's safe with me. Or is it that you believe what Damon accused me of earlier?" I shiver as I suddenly feel Mia standing behind me.

"Mia…just leave her alone. None of this is worth turning back into a ripper," I gasp softly, is that what's going on? "Not me, not Damon, not Katherine, not even…Elena. You need to find you anchor, that's why I called Lexi." I hear Mia growl behind me.

"Why?! No…I'm leaving. Lexi can't help me if she can't find me." I feel a gust of wind and I turn to find an empty spot where Mia was just standing.

"Stef…you have to find her…she needs someone to—" I am suddenly distracted by another swish.

Mia is staring directly in my eyes. I blush and turn my head slightly. She smiles softly, "Elena…thank you. I'll be back one day soon, mmkay?" She says softly.

I shake my head, my eyes flooding with tears.

"I hope this doesn't end our friendship…I'm just too dangerous to be here right now. Don't worry. I'll come back real soon and I'll go to school with you. Me and Stefan both." She smiles gently.

"When…?" I manage to say through my tears. My vision is blurry so I wipe them away quickly. I couldn't see her face clearly…

"Few weeks possibly, I'm gonna call Lexi to meet me outside of town. I need a reminder of a good way to cope with my emotions. Stefan was right." She says and I glance over to Stefan only to find an empty spot.

"Where…?" I hear Mia chuckle.

"He's hunting close by. He trusts me enough to give us a little privacy."

"Mia…next time this happens let me help you, okay? We can get through this. What are friends for?" I give her a bright smile.

"Elena…It's so much more that happened today to make me halfway flip my humanity switch. When I get back, I promise I will tell you everything. I'm glad to have you as my friend. You mean so much to me… _more than you'll ever know_ …" She said the last part so softly, I think I may have imagined it.

"Friends forever. Just hurry up and get better so you can come back to me, okay?" My voice full of confidence. Her eyes brighten up at my words.

" _Okay."_

What she does next made my leap out of my chest and soar into the sky. Mia's lips brushed, ever so softly, against my cheek. Something that could have been deemed as an innocent gesture, felt so much more intimate and special than a kiss fully on the mouth. Does she feel what I feel? _Sometimes I wish..._

Mia pulls me in for a tight hug, "Thank you. You have my number, call me if you need something while I'm gone, or even if you see you can't live with my charming nature…" She wiggles her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

I laugh and playfully punch her on the arm.

"Oww, Lena. You're so aggressive!" She pouts before bursting out in a fit of laughter.

"Of course I'll call you, but don't expect it to be because I miss your ' _charming nature.'_ " I say as I pretend to scold her while using my pointer finger like she was a child.

"We'll see about that, Miss _Gilbert_." She says my name with an accent. My knees nearly turn to jelly.

"That was the best reaction…I should try that more often." Mia teases. The corner of her mouth curls upward into her signature smirk, that I've grown to enjoy.

"Just get better, Mia. I need you." I say before I can help myself. Anyone else would've taken that as an innocent statement of one needing her friend. But not Mia. She too good at reading emotions. Her beautiful blue eyes raise at my small, barely noticeable confession. _I hope i didn't make things weird between us..._

"With that being said…I almost don't wanna go now." Mia pouts again like a child. Just like that my worries faded away as I laughed at her pouting face.

"You have to. If not for you, then do it for me. I'll be here when you come back, okay? I promise."

"Okay. I'll do it for you, Lena…Thank you." She pulls me in for another hug. I wrap my arms around her tightly. I don't want to let her go…but _Stefan._ I could never betray Stefan. _I'm not Katherine...I can't have a 3 them fighting over me. I won't stand for it._

"You're Welcome. Stay safe, Mia. We'll have so much fun when you come back." I mumble into her shoulder.

"I will, Lena. You stay safe too. Although, I'm sure my little brothers will protect you quite well…"

We pull apart from our tight embrace, my body suddenly becoming cold from the loss of contact.

"Goodbye, Mia…I'll call you every day to check on you." I tell her. My tears are threatening to fall again.

"Goodbye my Lena…I'll look forward to your call. Close your eyes…don't look at me. Just breath…"

She holds onto me for a second. I close my eyes, making my tears flow freely.

"That's it…now take deep breaths…" I breath in and out a few time before my hand goes limp from the lost of our entwined fingers. Then I feel a gust of wind across my face, making my hair move with the wind.

I open my tear filled eyes.

 _She's gone._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I'm sorry for the super long chapter, but it holds a lot of information about some of Mia's past. It was a decision I made to add background in this chapter because I tried to build her character more in this chapter along with setting the scene for the story. It will follow the show, but there will be a lot of differences, and I'm actually considering adding an entirely new plot at one point which I've kind of foreshadowed in this chapter. Katherine is mentioned A LOT throughout this chapter and I chose to do that because in the show it seemed like you heard about Katherine so much before she was properly introduced in the story._

* * *

The Stars Connect Us

Chapter 2: If History Is Anything to Go by...

* * *

 **Mia Pov:**

" _You make me gloooow! But I cover up won't let it shoooow! So—"_

" _Hey Lena, how are you?"_ I mentally curse myself for saying her name. _Why didn't I turn the ringer off?_

I hear Lexi chuckle from the other room, and I growl a bit.

" _I'm fine, Lena. Lexi's just teasing me about something. Stefan filled me in on the tomb vampires…I asked him if he wanted me to come back early."_

" _Isobel? You never told me she came back."_ Why are you always into something, Isobel? Do I once again have to keep you under control?!

" _She almost what?! Are you sure Stefan and Dam-Twit have this under control?"_

" _Founders parade…that's today, right?"_

" _I hope you have a good time, Lena. Call me when you get there okay?"_

" _Okay…I miss you…I hope I can come back soon. We still have a lot to do when I come back."_ I chuckle into the phone. I decided I want to surprise her when I come back, so I didn't tell her that I will be home later today.

" _Of course. Alright, Lena. I'll talk to you later tonight…don't forget to call when you get to the parade!"_

" _See you, soon…"_ I tap the end button.

I smile lovingly to myself for a second while absentmindedly staring at my phone.

"Sooo, when are you gonna tell her you like her?" Lexi stands in the doorway smirking.

I sigh, "I have no idea what you are talking about, Lexi…"

"Oh please. Your ringtone for her says it all. Not to mention how soft your voice was when you talked to her. You're falling for her, aren't you?"

I scoff, "First off that's my ringtone for everyone and—"

"Negative. It's not your ringtone for anyone else. Trust me, I've noticed. Just like I noticed that she likes you back…" Lexi says wiggling her eyebrows, suggestively.

"Nuh uh. Elena is with Stefan. Remember Lexi, I want no repeats of 1864." I say wiggling my index finger in a scolding manner.

"But it really wouldn't be a repeat if she chooses you. I know you can tell, she's nothing like that manipulative bitch, Katherine Pierce. She'll do the right thing."

"I can't Lexi. We're friends." I say slowly getting overwhelmed.

"And I know the only reason why you and Elena are acting out this friendship façade is because it adds boundaries to your relationship," Lexi replies smugly. "You both are afraid of what would happen if you weren't. You two needed the boundaries. It makes it easier to be friends and not break the "friendship rule."

I roll my eyes and let out a loud sigh as I lay my head back on my pillow.

"You know Lexi; I won't try to be in a relationship with her anyway."

Now it's Lexi turn to sigh, "Seriously Mia? Why not?"

"Besides the fact that you are basically trying to get my brother to hate me, I just don't think it would be good for me."

"Okay, you left out the important part. Why? I mean, Stefan would be pissed for sure, but if she chooses you he'd respect her decision."

I roll my eyes again. This conversation is really beginning to bore me.

"Can we talk about this later? I just want to rest a little. Besides, we'll have plenty of time to talk on our way back to Mystic Falls today. I didn't tell her that I'll be back tonight, but Stefan knows…" I fake a yawn after I finish talking, hoping to sell the tired act.

"Sure. But we will talk about this later, no excuses!"

"Yeah, I know Lexi." I sigh as I cover my face with my pillow.

Lexi scoffs and slams the door after muttering something along the lines of "You're impossible…"

I remember my time with my brothers and Katherine in 1864 at lot more clearly now that I'm basically best friends with her living breathing Doppelgänger, Elena Gilbert. Day after day—for 145 years I have pushed whatever memories I have of that time with Katherine far back. I _never_ wanted to remember. But when I see Elena…I see Katherine.

Elena and Katherine are nowhere near being alike personality wise. But I remember how different Katherine looked when we were together. Her eyes were softer and her facial expressions looked…kinder. When I see Elena, I remember _that_ Katherine. The one I fell in love with...

 _Flashback:_

 _It's an early afternoon on a hot summer day. The birds are chirping in the distance, a gentle breeze making the leaves move slightly with the wind. I'm standing by the stable, running my hand over the beautiful black horse my Pa got for me a few days back. I smile absentmindedly to myself as I relive my birthday again in my head. Damon is away for the war, so it's just been Pa, Stefan, and I at the house for a few weeks. About 3 weeks ago, we were granted with the company of Katherine Pierce whose family died in a fire in a different state. Pa was generous enough to allow her to stay with us._

 _Ever since I laid eyes on her, I felt a small tug pulling me to her. I was drawn to her beauty. It's wrong, I know, to think of her in such a way…if Pa knew he would be furious. His beautiful darling daughter, smitten with a woman…_

 _It's something I've kept to myself. Not even my friend Isabelle knows. Up until my birthday, We've never spoken more than 3 words to each other. We hadn't even been in the same room long enough to properly introduce ourselves._

 _The morning of my birthday I was down in the main room playing a song on the grand piano that I wrote some months back. I've always loved music. My Pa made me practice when I was about 5 years old, all day throughout the summer. Eventually I learned to master playing the violin as well, when I was 9 years old. By the time I was 13 years old, I began composing my own music. Pa was astonished. He said I surpassed my mom. I have no memory of her, well I do, but it's so distorted it's hard to tell if it's actually real. Mom died after Stefan was born. I vaguely remember Pa sending her to another place until she got better so she wouldn't get us sick. But she never came back…_

 _For years I would tell myself, when she gets better she'll be so proud of my skills, and that I was so much like her. We could even make music together; A duet._

 _Sooner or later, I grew out of my naive mindset and realized that she probably died. But I still practiced every morning and night because my inspiration always seemed to spark around then. It was during that time when I began to fall head over heels with our guest, Miss Pierce._

 _My fingers flow over the piano keys gracefully. My eyes closed softly as I let myself feel the music. This song is called "Calm in the Winter." It's played slowly and softly. The notes are smooth and delicate, just like the fresh snow in the winter._

 _As I finish the song, the last note hangs in the air before slowly fading away into the silent morning air._

" _That was…truly beautiful. How did you learn to play like that?" I hear a female voice from behind me. My eyes snap open at the sound of her voice._

" _I'm sorry, Miss Pierce. I didn't mean to wake you." I say as I turn to face her._

 _She waves her hand dismissively, "It's not a problem, Mia. I was awake already doing some early reading. But I would never mind being awakened by such beautiful music. You have talent, Mia. Is that your only hobby?"_

 _Katherine actually likes my music! Today is the best day of my life! The one I've silently admired for so long acknowledged my skills…_

" _Thank you. I...uh, my Papa taught me the basics as a child. I learned to read sheet music, then eventually stated composing my own songs. I can draw and paint very well too. I can show you one day, if you'd like..." I grin sheepishly._

 _Katherine smiles softly at me. Her beautiful features look even better when she smiles. Her face brightens up in a way I've seen on her before._

" _Well I think that's a wonderful idea, Mia. Was that your song that you were just playing?"_

 _I blush brightly as I avert my eyes from hers, "Yes. I wrote it some months back. Our family went to visit some relatives in New York for holiday's. It was the first time I'd ever seen snow! It was very fascinating…" I ramble on, unaware of the smile that forms on Katherine's lips._

" _The first snow is always the best. You want to play a song together?" She asks and begins to walk over to me. I freeze up for a second, but enough time for Katherine to notice, "Just relax Mia-blue blue." She chuckles. She has the most wonderful chuckle… I mentally slap myself for thinking that way._

 _My heart skips a beat as I realize the new nickname that she gave me. Katherine chuckles again at my shock._

" _Mia-blue blue? Where did that come from, Miss Pierce?"_

" _Your eyes, silly. Your eyes are so blue." I sit there frozen earning a girlish giggle from Katherine._

" _So let's begin then, shall we?" Katherine says positioning herself next to me on the piano bench. I'm not sure if I trust myself to be this close to her, but God knows I want to be closer…_

" _You know how to play, then?" I ask trying to keep my mind busy._

 _She chuckles, "You tell me…"_

 _Turns out she did know how to play. Like she's had centuries to practice. I never expected her to be able to play that well…she's amazing!_

 _Katherine and I became closer since my birthday. Sometimes I wonder if she knows I like her. She seems like she does, she always has this look in her eye and this knowing smile. It's like she knows exactly how I feel. Recently, every time she talks I found myself staring at her lips lost in thought about how soft they look, or how wonderful it would feel to kiss her. It's been getting to the point where I want to tell her…I've been contemplating when would be the best time to tell her…_

"Mia! Wake up! Get ready! Have you seriously been sleeping this whole time?!" A voice yells snapping me out of my memory. I groan as I roll over. I didn't even notice I fell asleep.

"Is it really necessary to scream? What time is it, Lexi?" I snap. I hate loud noises when I first wake up.

I hear her huff, "It's currently 1:25 p.m. We have to—"

"I've literally been asleep for an hour and you're acting like it's been a whole day!" I say a bit louder than I would've liked.

"Yes, well. We don't _have_ all day. The sooner you get ready, the sooner we'll be in Mystic Falls and back to you precious Elena." Lexi teases. Will she ever let that go?

"Yes, but there is a huge chunk of my history going on in Mystic Falls at the moment…" I mumble.

"It's just the founders parade, Mia. Nothing that hasn't been done for years now."

"Because I'm not talking about that stupid parade. I'm talking about _Isobel_!" I blurt out. Immediately, I realize my mistake. Shit. Now I have to explain.

"Isobel…who?" The confusion is evident on Lexi's face.

I silently curse myself.

"Isobel Flemming, or whatever. Flemming was her maiden name. She was married, we messed around basically through her whole marriage."

I see the disbelief on Lexi's face. "Really, Mia?" She scoffs.

I shrug my shoulders, "What? He wanted a boring cliché marriage, she wanted excitement. She initiated it. I just didn't turn her down." I reply nonchalantly.

"She was still married, but whatever. It obviously didn't bother you two, so…what's the point of telling me this? It's in the past, right?"

"It is. After Damon turned her, I was so furious with her for seeking him out that I told her to fuck off. She caused some disturbance a little outside of Milwaukee a few months after. I caught up to her, and told her to stop throwing a tantrum." I pause. My mind is deep in thought as I remember something that a friend told me he noticed about the way she responded to me. I never confirmed it, but I will when I see her in Mystic Falls. Damon killed her, but it was my blood that turned her. That I know for a fact...

"And…?" Lexi says drawing the word out signifying for me to get to the point.

"And nothing. She stopped." I shrug.

Lexi raises her eyebrow, "Just like that? She hadn't done it again since?" She says in disbelief.

"Nope." I answer popping my lips at the "p"

"So what's the problem? She listened. That's a good thing, Mia."

"Yeah. Then I recently found out she is Elena's biological mother, and her husband who believed she was dead is now Elena's history teacher." I chose to keep my suspicions about why Isobel listened to me without a second thought, to myself.

Lexi's face is in pure shock. She's standing there frozen. Her eyes the size of golf balls and her jaw is practically hanging to the ground.

"Jesus, Mia. Maybe going back there isn't a good idea…there's too much history for you right now." I shake my head dismissively.

"No. I'm going back. I've kept Lena alone with my idiot brothers for too long."

Lexi throws her hands up, "Fine, but right now you're on probation. I will be in a nearby town for a few months, and the second I catch a whiff of you going on a bloodlust rampage, I will hunt you down and we will do this all over again." She warns me. I shiver at the look she's giving me.

"I'll be fine…I won't do that…" I try to sound convincing. But deep down I know that I'm a blink away from snapping again. If anyone harms a hair on Elena's head, I'll fucking snap. I can't tell Lexi that though. She'll never let me go back if I do.

"You better not. Hurry up so we can hit the road, kiddo." I wince at her old nickname for me.

"I'm not a kid…" I muttered earning a laugh from Lexi.

"You're a kid to me…I've got a whole century on you, Mia."

"Yeah yeah." I stand up and begin packing my things.

Lexi and I have been driving for about 20 minutes before my phone buzzes in my pocket. I quickly pull it out hoping its Elena. I sigh and roll my eyes when I see it's just my little brother, _dimwit Damon._

Lexi takes her eyes off the road to look at me, "What is it?" She asks curiously.

"Just a text from Damon. I was hoping it was Elena, though."

After Lexi turns her attention back to the road, I decide to see what Damon wanted.

My eyes widen and my body freezes like water in the winter. It's not a text, it's a picture. My left hand grips my thigh through my jeans. There. Smiling beautifully next to Stefan, is Elena. She's dressed as a southern belle from the 19th century. Immediately, I am taken aback by how much she resembles Katherine. Especially dressed in the same type of clothing we all last saw her wearing back in 1864.

My throat burns suddenly with the need to feed and I realize why that is…seeing Elena wearing 21st century clothing was easier than seeing her in clothes from 1864. I need to feed…my throat is practically on fire.

"Hey Lexi…can we stop at this gas station? I'm a little bit hungry." I say hoarsely.

Lexi looks at me quickly and nods her head. I hear the sound of the turn signal as Lexi looks over her shoulder before jumping into the next lane. Once we pull into the gas station, I notice there's two guys hanging around back. Easy food…I smirk.

I take off my seatbelt and open the door, I have one leg out he car before stopping to look at Lexi, "You aren't coming?" I ask curiously. She nods, but says wants to get gas first.

"Try to save some for me. Remember what you learned to do to stop, okay?" Lexi says before we separate.

"I will."

The corner of my mouth turns upward in a seductive smirk as I see the two guys staring at me hungrily. _Oh men…_

I wink at one of them and begin to walk over to them, nice and slow, giving them a good look at me.

"Well, hello there, boys."

* * *

 _ **Stefan POV:**_

"What you did was wrong, Damon. Sending Mia that picture…you know Katherine is still a trigger for her. And yet, being as selfish as you are, sent her a picture of Elena looking exactly like Katherine. What kind of brother are you?" I practically yell at Damon who just sits there nonchalantly reading a book with a glass of bourbon in his empty hand.

"She'll be fine, brother. No need to add another frown line to that already crowded forehead of yours." I feel my eyebrows twitch at his words. _How can he be so carefree about this?_

"How can you say that?" I ask, my voice heavy with emotion. This is our sister we're talking about! How can he do this?

"Because, you both lied to me! I have every right to do what I'm doing!" Damon slams his book shut and looks at me with such anger, I realize he's serious about this.

"What are you even talking about? Are you delusional…" Suddenly, my back hits a nearby wall. Damon has his hand around my throat, baring his fangs.

"Delusional, huh? The whole time when Katherine was staying there, I thought she was spending most of her time with you!" Damon spat. "And you never denied it! When Katherine told me that you weren't the one who currently held her heart, I was the happiest man alive! You knew it too! You knew how happy that made me, but you didn't tell me that our darling older sister also caught Katherine's eye…that she was the one stealing all of Katherine's time." My eyes fall. _He's right…_

"It wasn't like that. You and I both know how you were about Katherine back then! We weren't sure if we could trust you! If anyone found out about them—!" Damon cuts me off by pushing me further into the wall.

"Don't give me that shit! You all made me look like a fool! It was like an inside joke to you three. Everyone laugh at Damon because he _thinks_ Katherine is in love with him! I know you loved Katherine, and believe it or not, she loved you too. But even you were nothing compared to Mia…" I see the sadness in his eyes. My heart aches for my brother, for the pain I've caused him…

"None of that matters, Damon…If I could take it all back, I would. But the truth is Katherine never loved any of us. She was a selfish, manipulative bitch. She didn't love me, you, or even Mia. It was a game to her. I understand why your anger is directed towards us, but none of that matters now because neither of us got the girl." I try to reason with him.

"Oh, but that's the thing, dear brother! After I found out Katherine wasn't in the tomb, I went to kill Pearl. I wanted to take her away from Anna because she got the person she wanted most out of the tomb. Anna knew she wasn't in the tomb to begin with, but she wanted to get her mother out. She told me that she saw Katherine during the 1980's in Chicago, of all places," He lets out a soft chuckle before his face turns serious again, "Funny thing is, I was in Chicago all the way until '92. We were there during the _same_ time. But that's not the best part, Stefan!" Damon says. His voice drips with sarcasm. Sarcasm laced with pain. "She _knew_ I was there! She knew exactly where I was, according to Anna…but she didn't care! It was only Mia…you and Mia, actually. But everyone could see how much they adored each other…if only they knew how much…" I bite the inside of my jaw.

"Damon…" I start but Damon releases me from the wall.

"Don't. Just don't. You wanted to know why I hate you both so much now? It's because I never get the girl. Mia held Katherine's heart…you did too by some degree, and even now, you hold Elena's heart, and so does Mia. I know she has a crush on her at the very least. What is it that you two have that I don't?"

I feel a pang of jealousy erupt my body…Elena and Mia? I don't think I can do this again…My anger fades and my eyes soften as I stare at my older brother. He's truly hurting, and I helped cause him this pain.

"I'm—"

"I'm back my annoying little brothers!" I hear a voice call from the doorway. Mia…

 _Oh great…not when Damon's in one of his moods_ …

I hear a deep growl rumble from Damon's chest…

 _Here we go_ …

* * *

 _ **Mia Pov:**_

I walk in with a smile on my face. My heart beating rapidly because I'm finally home for the first time in a month. I hum a song, as I walk happily into the living room.

"Shalom little brothers. Miss me?" I ask in a cheerful voice.

I notice the tension in the room. Stefan's forehead has about ten new frown lines, Damon is sending me death glares…umm did I do something that I forgot about…?

"Okay, I'm sorry. Maybe I should've stayed with Lexi?" I mumble turning away from my brothers who are being too rude for my taste.

"Yes, you should have! I meant what I said before you left with Lexi! I wish you would've never come back here! Seeing your face just reminds me of how much I hate you and Stefan!" My heart sinks in my chest… _hate?_ I could never truly hate either of them.

"Damon—!" Stefan tries to interject but Damon cuts him off.

"Don't Damon me! She wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the tomb! Now she's only staying for Elena! I've made partial peace with you, Stefan, but now I'm starting to rethink that too!" Damon's eyes burn into mine, and I feel my face harden. I know my anger gets out of control…it's something I even struggled with when I was human, but it got much worse after I turned. My fists claw at my sides. I can feel the veins forming around my eyes as they darken from their natural color.

"Control your temper, Mia. Maybe you need to-" Stefan begins but is once cut off my rude, jerk of a brother, Damon.

"Oh please! Mia can never control her temper. She'd much rather tear her way through an _orphanage_! Especially when it came down to our dear love, Katherine…and now _Elena_." Damon sneers at me.

 _I mentally cringe at the memory._

 _My anger is getting more out of control, and despite my attempts to control myself, I realize now that I'm already too worked up._

I start yelling at him, spilling everything that I've kept from him…

"Katherine _never_ loved you! If she was ever honest about _anything_ back then, it was the fact that she told me she wasn't in love with you!" I scream at him. My rage quickly turning to pity, "She only wanted to turn me and Stefan…but I begged her not to turn Stefan because of how pure he was…that it would ruin him…I guess she just couldn't help herself." My voice got softer towards the end…I never wanted this for them. Ever.

They both stare at me in shock, "What? I bet you both assumed I hated Katherine because she messed around with you two? The fact that she without a doubt felt something for Stefan? No. I hate her because she ruined you two…my little brothers. I'll be at the parade tonight…just to make sure nothing goes wrong and to be sure that you both along with Elena are safe."

I flash out of the house before they can say anything. I really would just rather I go and surprise Elena, but I know I want to wait until tonight.

I'm sitting in my car, deep in thought when my phone buzzes in the seat next to me.

' _Mia, it's me, Isobel. We need to talk, I'm sure you know how to find me. See ya soon. :)'_

I frown at the message. What the hell could Isobel possibly want? I haven't seen her since… _shit_. I can't even remember how long ago. Is it a bad thing that I know exactly how to find her? _The most expensive house near mystic falls…_

(X)

* * *

I pull up and park my mustang in front of a beautiful large house that looks like it could cost millions. I use my speed to dash to the front door and knock twice. I know Isobel wouldn't be stupid enough to try something on me. Not with my rage…

Not even a second later, Isobel opens the door grinning ear to ear. Her eyes bore into mine as she steps aside for me to come in.

"Bonjour mon amour…" Isobel's silky voice rings out around the marble floors.

"ça fait longtemps…" I reply in fluent French. Taking in Isobel's appearance, I note how beautiful she is. I mean, she's always been beautiful. Why do you think I was with her in the first place? I might not have any romantic feelings towards her anymore, but I will never deny her beauty.

"Mia Salvatore, just as beautiful as the last time we saw each other…" she says in a husky voice. Her eyes are dark, and full of lust. _Typical Isobel…even as a vampire she has the libido of a teenage_ boy. I smirk.

"Aren't you being too kind?" I chuckle sarcastically. Isobel sticks her tongue out at me.

"Not at all. I was simply admiring true beauty."

I sigh. As much as I would love to play catch up with her, my first instinct is to protect Elena and my brothers. I may not be interested in Isobel anymore, but I still care about her.

"Isobel…why are you here?" I ask her softly.

"I wanted to see my daughter. You've met Elena, haven't you?" Isobel says leading me into her marvelous living room. She flops down on a couch and I take a seat across from her.

"Yes. We've had the pleasure of meeting. She's dating my younger brother, Stefan."

"Ah yes, Stefan. I wonder why she didn't choose Damon." She replied.

"Just because you would doesn't mean Elena is the same, now does it?" I chuckle softly thinking about how much Damon annoys Elena.

"No, you're right, it doesn't. Although, I'm sure she'd _love_ to be with you." Isobel says winking.

I just sit there. I study her face for what seemed like hours.

"Elena loves Stefan, Isobel." I say sternly.

"But you like her, don't you? It was written all over your face when I first mentioned her name. You want my daughter, don't you, Mia?" I refuse to answer her. I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of knowing how I feel about Elena.

Suddenly, Isobel is in front of me. She's looking down at me with darkened eyes full of… _hunger_?

"Is it hard to be near her while thinking about how you'd make her _scream_? Hmm? Does it ever drive you insane wondering what she sounds like moaning your name?" I shift uncomfortably as the much deprived spot between my legs goes into overdrive.

"She may be with Stefan now, but you and every girl you've ever fucked knows you're so much better than _both_ of them put together."

 _Okay, now I'm really…damn me for not having time to get a nice fuck these past couple of months._ It's just been so hard when I keep thinking about Elena.

" _Fuck it_ …" I mumble more to myself than to Isobel.

I look up at Isobel with lust in my eyes. I tap my thigh, "Hop on me."

Isobel wastes no time in straddling me and kissing me with so much want, that I moan loudly a second after her lips met mine.

(X)

* * *

"Okay, either this is just so much better as a vampire, or you were holding back on me then…" Isobel breathes after we both come down from our high. I smirk as I kiss my way up her body.

"Of course I was! You could barely handle the orgasms I gave you then, imagine if your orgasms were this strong every time we had sex when you were human…" I chuckle. Isobel pouts, "I was so weak…I thought you rocked my world then, if only I'd known just how aggressive you really are during sex, I would've hunted you down a few years ago." I chuckle at her pout and place a quick kiss on her pouty lips.

"I was too mad at you then…" I say as I place a kiss on her neck.

"And you would've taken your anger out as you fucked me." She says.

I laugh at that, "You're probably right…come on though. I wanted to talk to you. And not while we're naked, Isobel. It's too…distracting." I say as I fiddle one of her breasts in my hand.

After we both were dressed, and our makeup and hair fixed, we made our way down to the living room where one of the little humans Isobel compelled poured us bourbon.

"You mentioned that we needed to talk…" Isobel begins as she sips her glass.

I realize now would be the time to put my theory to the test…

"I talked to Elena everyday while I was… _away_ with a friend named Lexi. She told me how you hurt her friend Matt and captured Jeremy to get some…device or whatever. What kind of mother does that?!" I scream. I probably sound more upset than I actually am.

"I needed it…" she says.

I scoff, "Of course you did, Isobel…They said you left town, but I guess you didn't. I only came back for Elena—"

"Oh yes, let's talk about my darling daughter whom you love so much. I mean, I guess I can't blame you since she looks exactly like _Katherine_. Imagine how pissed she'll be to hear that you've found someone else to love." I flash over to her. I have her pinned to the wall before she can even process what's happening.

"Wow…you _are_ fast, aren't you?" She smirks at me.

I growl, "How the hell do you know Katherine _?!"_

She looks back at me with amusement in her eyes, "I didn't at first. In that room you always kept locked in your house, well one day you forgot to lock it. Curiosity killed the cat, and I was amazed with all those beautiful paintings and drawings you did, but one in particular caught my eye…" She replies. I bite down on my teeth when the realization hits. _She saw my painting of Katherine._

"You saw Katherine and thought it was Elena, didn't you?" I ask her. She nods.

"For a second I thought it was Elena, but the woman was older looking than Elena was then, and then I saw the date you signed on the bottom corner. You painted that in 1995. Elena was only 3 years old then…"

I decide that she's telling the truth so I let go of her neck.

"I'll accept that answer, but you've met Katherine for sure. So tell me where she is, Isobel." I say dangerously.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've never actually met her, Mia." I stare directly into Isobel's eyes. _She's lying_ …

Usually I would have probably threatened her to tell me, or yelled and thrown her across the room a few times until she told me. _But then I remembered something else…_

"I know you're lying, Isobel. And you know I hate it when you lie to me. Now please…if you know where Katherine is, tell me…please." I practically plead with her.

Isobel's eyes look conflicted. Almost as if she's trying to fight something off. I can see her at battle with herself for a few more seconds.

"Please, it would mean a lot to me if you told me…"

Suddenly her eyes soften but look as if she wants to cry, " _Only for you…"_ I hear her say softly, "I _have_ met Katherine plenty of times before. But the first time I've met with her was over a year ago. Just the other day we talked over the phone and I told her that you came back to Mystic Falls along with Stefan and Damon. She was surprised and said how much she missed you. Katherine said she was close by, but had no intention on coming back now that word got out that she wasn't in the tomb." Her voice cracked a bit. _There…_

 _I_ try to ignore what she said about Katherine missing me. I just can't afford to think like that. She was probably lying to Isobel anyway because Katherine doesn't care about anyone but herself.

A few years back, I met a vampire in a bar. His name was Mathias. He mentioned a myth about something called a _sire bond_. Or at least he thought it was a myth until he turned a girl and she would literally do _anything_ to please him. Anything he asked, she'd do for him.

Mathias is now a good friend and he was with me the night I stopped Isobel from tearing apart that small city when she was a just baby vamp, and he told me she was sired to me. I brushed it off by saying Isobel didn't love me enough for that. We had an affair, but it's not like we were going to elope or anything. But now I see he was right, I should call to thank him for the heads up…

Isobel _is_ sired to me…

As much as I want to pry more information from her about Katherine I don't think now is the best time. I'm not mentally stable enough to hear any more about Katherine.

"It's okay, Isobel. I believe you. I do. Thank you for telling me. I really appreciate it, okay? And I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm not angry with you. I promise." I try my best to ease her feelings. I remember Mathias saying something about how they always want to please their sire. And when they upset their sire, they start to get depressed and hate themselves. Almost instantly, I see the sadness disappear from her face at my words.

"Thank you…" Isobel says softly. A small smile makes its way onto her lips. I nod my head at her thanks.

"Don't mention it." I chuckle.

Isobel laughs, but I can see something else is bothering her.

"Mia?" She asks quietly. If I hadn't been a vampire I'm sure I would not have heard her.

"Hmm?"

"Did you love her?" Isobel averts her eyes as she asks the question as if she's afraid of the answer. But I'm sure the answer is obvious. Even Elena knew…

"Yeah I did." My mind trails off into some memories I had of 1864 when I was absolutely and undeniably in love with Katherine. Sometimes I still feel that tingle in my stomach when I think of those times. I always tell myself I hate her and I'd kill her as soon as I got the chance for what she did to my brothers. But deep down I always question myself. Could I really kill her if it came down to it?

"I can tell you, if you like? The memory of when I first met her." I shake my head and walk over to her. I lean in so that our lips our mere centimeters apart, " _Show_ me." I whispered before I crash my lips to hers…

 _I see two people—women sitting alone in the corner of a bar. It's nighttime and the bar is fairly noisy, but that made it easier to ensure that people weren't listening in._

 _As I look closer, I notice that one woman is without a doubt, Isobel._

 _I try to get a closer look at the other one. The doe brown eyes, the curly long brown hair. The delicate features…the one who looks so…El_ ena _like._

 _Katherine…_

 _My heart skips a beat. Here, sitting directly in front of me, is Katherine. In all her beauty. My emotions get the better of me because I actually_ reach _out to touch her. It isn't until my hand went right through her as if she were a ghost that I realized what I was doing._

 _I frown to myself as I snatch my hand away. What the hell was I thinking?_

" _So, you found Damon, I suppose? I see that you are no longer a human…" Katherine says. It's then I notice the difference between her and Elena's voice. Elena speaks with emotion…as if anything she says comes directly from her heart. Katherine has a flirtatious version. All her words sound husky and seductive, but also well thought and strategic. She chooses her words carefully. Katherine knows how and what to say to make you think exactly the way she wants you to._

 _I take this time to study Katherine. This is the most recent time I've seen her. A year ago…this was the Katherine Pierce from a year ago. Not from 1864._

 _Her clothing, make up, and hair style all scream modern day fashion. Although, I did quite enjoy Katherine in 19_ _th_ _century clothing._

 _I must've zoned out because I notice the conversation has moved along to a different subject entirely._

" _When we spoke over the phone, I told you that if you ever found Damon and he turned you that I would meet with you…I also told you that I would pry some information from you. How did you find out about me?" Katherine asks, eyeing Isobel intensely._

" _My research at Duke—" Isobel begins but is cut off by Katherine's chuckle._

" _No lies, Isobel. I know enough about you to know that you've known about me long before your research at Duke. In fact, I'm willing to bet that's exactly why you started that in the first place, am I right?" The shock on Isobel's face says it all. Katherine saw right through Isobel and for some reason she didn't want to play with Isobel and pretend she doesn't know anything. No…Katherine wants Isobel to know exactly who she really is._

 _Katherine smirks playfully at Isobel, as she plays with her hair._

" _Okay. I was in an affair with a girl for a while through my marriage. I was at her house one day and I saw a painting of you."_

 _I could see that sparked Katherine's interest. Her eyes looked curious and she sat up straighter in anticipation. "Who? What girl?" There's an edge to Katherine's voice. Almost as if she's debating whether or not to buy what Isobel is saying._

" _A vampire…I didn't know she was one until about 2 months before I turned. She refused to turn me, so I had to find a way on my own." I can see that Isobel is trying not to spill too much information to Katherine. I can tell that's annoying Katherine more than anything._

" _I want a name." She says sighing. Katherine sits back folding her arms in front of her chest and pouts her lips. I chuckle. She looks like a spoiled kid that finally heard the word "no."_

" _Mia. Mia Salvatore." At the sound of my name Katherine's eyes snapped to meet Isobel's. Her childish demeanor disappeared almost instantly. Not to mention her body had gone stiff._

" _So you do know her, yes?" Isobel asked. I roll my eyes. Isobel knows I knew Katherine. She'd done tons of research at this point to even find Katherine. She knew about the battle of willow creek—the night I died. So why is she acting naïve in front of Katherine?_

" _Of course I do. Just like I know you know exactly how I know her. Here's the thing…I like you Isobel, that's the only reason why I haven't ripped your heart out by now. But I will say if you continue to play this little innocent game with me, I will have no choice but to kill you. Am I clear? If you aren't honest with me for now on I will hunt you down and I will kill you. I've had enough of your lies to last a lifetime. I don't expect any more from you."_

 _Isobel visibly shudders and a smirk of satisfaction forms on Katherine's face._

" _Tell me about your time with Mia. How's the vampire life treating her?"_

" _Depends. She was fine when we were dating. I haven't talked to her since my transformation. She told me to fuck off." Katherine chuckles at Isobel's words._

" _That's Mia, all right. She never really did have a filter when she was angry. Not even back then."_

 _Isobel smiles softly to herself before continuing, "Mia loved art. She always talked about her favorite artists and she often complained about how today's art pales in comparison to what it used to be. She is filthy rich too! Before I found out she was a vampire I figured it came from her family, but no. Did you know she actually has her Master of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences degree, a masters in computer science, and in Architecture? She literally went to school and earned her money the hard way…I mean, I never really understood what the big deal was until I became a vampire and I can just compel anything I want or need."_

 _I study Katherine's face once Isobel has finished her sentence. Her expression was hard to read at first, but then I could tell that there was a sense of satisfaction. She was proud of me…_

" _Well, Mia was always smart. Even then, the thought of being a housewife never sat well with Mia. She always wanted to learn more and more. She was unlike any girl I have ever met…especially back then. Women were to stay in their place. They were expected to be literate, but it wasn't necessary to do anything more than that. Mia wanted to be more. I think that's what first drew me to her…" Katherine trails off, obviously deep in thought._

" _I agree with you. She understood that while I love Alaric, I can never be what he wants. I wanted adventure, I wanted to see the world and learn all that I can. I could never settle down, have kids and…become a so_ cc _er mom!" Isobel finishes more to herself than to Katherine. She sounds disgusted at the very thought of a soccer mom._

" _And here we both are. Vampires who have both given birth to a child when they were human…" Katherine says quietly. I sigh sadly at Katherine's words. She told me before that she had a daughter. She never told me anything else, only that she wasn't allowed to keep her. Maybe Isobel and Katherine have more in common than I originally thought. Isobel, realizing she hit a nerve, decides to move on from the subject._

" _So…is Mia the only girl you've ever been with?" Isobel asks carefully. She's trying not to say anything to set Katherine off._

 _Katherine laughs, "When you've been around as long as I have, the barrier between sexual preference becomes blurred. I've been with plenty of other girls. None were an actual relationship, besides Mia. But most importantly, none had her personality, her mindset…her drive to be the best at everything. No male or female affected me like her." Once Katherine finishes, I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. I search her face for any hint of a lie, but much to my dismay, I found none._

 _How am I supposed to kill her when I see her if I keep having mixed emotions?_

" _I honestly believe that Mia doesn't realize the effect she has on people." Isobel says sadly._

" _She never did realize the effect she had on people…even me. Did you know that Mia's first reason to become a vampire was because she wanted to have forever to learn anything she wanted? She wanted to excel in everything that interested her, and master the skills she already knew. It had nothing to do with me. Her brothers wanted to turn because of me, but for Mia, her thirst for knowledge always came first. I admired that about her…" Katherine trails off again. She has this faraway look in her eyes as if she's remembering the times we spent together. Her large brown eyes are dreamy and I can tell she's lost in a memory. That's exactly how I get sometimes…boy we had some fun times back then…_

 _Isobel looks down sadly as if hearing Katherine's words hurt her. I can tell that she wasn't prepared for how highly Katherine spoke of me. I guess I can understand that. It's hard to talk about your ex period, but then to talk about all the things you loved about them is even worse. That's why I usually have a hard time talking about Katherine. Elena would ask me some things about our relationship. I realized that the majority of my negative opinions on Katherine happened after I turned. When we were together, I hardly ever had anything negative to say. I mean, everyone has their faults, but to me her faults made me love her more…_

" _Do you regret it? Leaving back in 1864?" Isobel asks trying to regain the confidence in her voice by clearing her throat._

 _There was a long pause. Katherine isn't even making eye contact with her. Her expression unreadable._

" _Everyday." I have no time to read her facial expression to search for even a hint of a lie. If I was listening to her voice, I'd say no. But this is Katherine Pierce. The master of deception. If history is anything to go by, you can't trust her voice. Her eyes though…her eyes never lie. At least not back then…_

The connection is broken when our kiss is interrupted by my loud phone. Our lips pull apart quickly as I rush to the other side of the room to get my phone.

"How did you do _that_?" Isobel asks. Her mouth is hanging wide open and her eyes are the size of golf balls.

I hold up my finger signifying her to wait as I look at my phone to see who is calling. I'm honestly glad because I don't feel like explaining to her that I seem to be stronger than your average vampire. At first I believed it was because of the way I thought as a human…but recently, I've been wondering if it's something more…

A sigh escapes when I see Damon's name on my caller ID.

 _Dimwit Damon._

"If you're ready to apologize, I will only accept it once I get a handwritten letter, a new gaming system, and to see you begging on your knees for me to forgive you." I say in a bored tone.

" _We'll talk about that once you get here! Which, by the way, better be soon since the tomb vampires plan to attack the founding families when the fireworks start. That's like in less than 30 minutes, Mia! Where the hell are you?!"_ My eyes go wide. Have I really wasted that much time?

"I'm on my way now." I hit the end button before he could respond.

I open my mouth to explain to Isobel.

"I know, Mia. I am leaving town tonight, so I won't be here by the time the celebration is over. Just…stay safe and please keep my daughter safe. I know you're in love with her, that much a blind man can see." I bite the inside of my jaw. _Is it that obvious? I really need to learn to conceal my feelings better._

"I will," I turn to walk out of the door. I pause just before my hand reaches the door handle, "You stay safe out there, Isobel. I would be mad as hell if you died on me. Despite everything that's happened between us, I still care about you…it's just the way I am…" I am gone before she can respond. Once I'm in the car, I speed my way all the way to the town square.

* * *

 _ **Elena POV:**_

Stefan is running by my side to find Jeremy. Alaric told us about the tomb vampires already in position to kill the founding families…That includes Jeremy and Me.

As we maneuver our way out of the crowd, I bump into someone.  
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where—"

" _Elena?"_ The sound of the voice sends shivers of excitement down my spine. I can't help the large goofy grin that forms on my face. My eyes scan over her beautiful face and stop at her electric blue eyes. _Aww, her eyes are so blue…_

"Mia! You're back! How could you not tell me earlier?!" I squeal excitedly. I practically forgot about finding Jeremy now…

She laughs, "Well, there's no fun in that. I like the surprised reaction I got from you…" Mia says before she sends me her signature smirk. I'm sure my face has gotten at least 10 shades redder.

Mia holds her arms open in front of her signifying a hug. I run into her arms, pulling her close. _I've missed her…_

Suddenly, Mia's arms loosen around me and I feel her break out of my hold as she tumbles to the ground. My heart is pounding in my chest as I see her holding her head and screaming in pain. I turn beside me to see that Stefan has also collapsed. I drop down to my knees trying to drag both of them out of sight to no avail. Tears are streaming down my face as I try with all my might to carry them away. I'm trying to tell them to hold on to me, but all that comes out is tear filled gibberish.

"Elena!" I turn around to see Alaric sprinting towards me. I sigh in relief… _they'll be safe…_

* * *

 _ **Mia POV:**_

The sound is deafening at first, but somehow it slowly starts to fade. It ends up becoming more of an annoying ringing noise than anything.

The first thing I see is Elena's tear filled eyes looking down at me. I force a small smile on my face for her. "Mia? How…does it not affect you anymore?" I frown slightly when I see Stefan is holding his head in pain. _Why don't I feel it anymore_?

"We'll have time for that later! We need to find Bonnie. I'm willing to bet my hat this was the device that Bonnie was supposed to de-spell. I saw all of the tomb vampires go down. The device gave them away." Alaric says loudly over the commotion. _I just fucked his wife…act normal, Mia. That isn't awkward at all…_

I managed to pull Stefan up so that he's leaning on me.

"Elena! What…what's going on? One minute I'm with Anna in the bathroom then she drops to her knees and she's being dragged away from me! They're taking them to our family building! I have no idea why!" Jeremy screams frantically.

"It would seem little Miss Bonnie lied about taking away the devices power." I mutter through clenched teeth.

Elena obviously saw the anger flash in my eyes because reaches out to put a calming hand on my shoulder. I lean into her touch as it instantly soothes me.

"We don't know that for sure. First, we need to find her." Elena says calmly. How she manages to stay calm and collected I will never understand. I can see in her eyes that she's just as scared and worried as we are, but she hides well.

"No, Bonnie should be the last thing on our minds! They've got Damon too! I don't know why…I saw the police dragging them all in! They've got Damon and Anna! We need to worry about them!" My eyes snap to meet his. They've got my little brother…

I clench my fists and bite down hard on my jaw. Bonnie is going to have to answer to me now. She put my little brother in danger, and that is not something I take lightly.

I can practically feel the anger radiating from my body. _They've got my brother…_

Any rational thinking that I had, is definitely out the window at this point.

"Where the hell did they take them?!" I scream angrily. My pupils dilated and my fangs protrude as my temper shows its ugly head.

"Mia…" Elena tries to reason but I'm too far gone. _They have my fucking brother…_

I ignore her because I know that I'll accidentally say something that will hurt her…she doesn't understand what's going on…

Stefan is still leaning on me for support. He's getting stronger though. He's trying to follow the conversation with that _annoying_ little ringing noise blaring in his ears. He's looking around at us confused.

"Jeremy, I'm trying to save my brother. Where are they?"

"Mia, what are they planning?" Jeremy screams in frustration. Totally ignoring my question, I see…

Then it hits me, he's feeling exactly how I am, because someone he loves was taken too.

"Isn't it obvious? They're rounding up the vampires. They are trying to do what their ancestors failed at 145 years ago…" My voice sounds almost monotone. This is too much for me to handle. My body is automatically forcing itself to flip the switch. It's a coping mechanism that I unwillingly developed. If my body is under too much stress, or pain, my humanity switch turns itself off to spare me the trauma. That's exactly what's happening now.

Elena must've been able to tell. _She always knows_ …

She reaches out to rest her hand under my chin. She squeezes my jaw slightly to get my attention.

"Hey, we're going to save him, okay? Stay with me…" My eyes widen as I feel an emotional wave erupt through my body.

 _Stay with me…_

 _Katherine…no! Not Katherine. Elena. This is Elena_ …

I mentally wrap my head around these 3 words… _stay with me…_

Katherine said those exact words to me…the night she got taken. Just a couple of seconds before she was ripped out of my arms…

 _How ironic is fate?_

But that's in the past, and this is _not_ Katherine. This is Elena… _my_ Elena.

Even so, my response is exactly the same. Only this time for someone else. _Elena_ …

"Do you hear me? _Stay with me._ " Elena says a little more forceful now.

So after when I'm staring in her eyes for a few seconds I tell her, "I will, Elena. _Always_." She holds my intense gaze for a few more seconds. I can see so many emotions swirling inside of them. I've always been a sucker for those eyes, even with Katherine.

I wonder if she can see the lovein my eyes...

 _Can you see how much I love you? Can you see the affect you have on me?_

 _No…you probably can't._

"You good now?" Jeremy's voice breaks through our intense exchange. Elena's eyes snap away and so do mine. We turn away in opposition directions. Her face turns right; I turn my face to the left. _Yeah…this isn't awkward at all…_

"Whatever. Just lead me to this building! And we've got to hurry! If history is anything to go by then they'll probably set it on fire once all of the known vampires are in!" I scream. I'm not mad, I just need to focus on something other than Elena and her large brown eyes, apparently I have a soft spot for them…

I mentally slap myself at my thoughts.

"Alaric, do you mind holding Stefan? I can move quicker without him. He's getting stronger so you won't have to help him too much." I ask readjusting Stefan's weight on my shoulders. He's heavy…

"Sure. Go on ahead. We'll be there a little after you."

I nod my head, "thank you."

I turn my attention to Jeremy, "I can move a lot quicker than you, so can you just point me in the direction? You can follow behind me…"

"Yeah, it's right on the left side of the town square. You'll know because it…" I don't give him the chance to finish. I'm already gone.

Once I get there I see the vampire hating Bennett witch. It's funny because I actually liked her the first time we met. Now she's dead to me. No one messes with my brothers and gets away with it.

"What the hell, Bonnie!" I scream at her.

"Look, I don't want any trouble! You're safe, Stefan's safe, Elena's happy and the world is a better place because Damon can't terrorize it anymore." I growl at her words.

"You're putting my brother in danger!" All of a sudden, the building starts to catch on fire. My eyes widen in terror. My dead heart sinks. I need to save him…

"I swear if you don't stop this fucking fire, Bonnie, I will kill you once this is over! Don't think that I won't. I'm nice until you mess with my family, Bennett. Then, anyone is fair game, especially _you_." I say poking her chest with my index finger.

"You say anyone, but I can think of at least one person who counts as an exception to that rule. _Elena_." She says smugly. I wanted to wipe that smug smile from her face so badly…

"Look, Bennett. Stop meddling in things you don't understand, okay? That's a one-way ticket _six feet under_ …if you catch my drift." I snap back at her.

"Oh please! Elena is my business! Just like it's _my_ business that you're in love with her!" Bonnie says smiling sweetly. Oh fuck this nice shit!

"Listen, _bitchy witch_ , either you help me save my fucking brother or I will torture you so badly you'll think death is a blessing! Now help me get in there!" I growl dangerously. Bonnie needs to back the hell down. I am not in the mood today—or any day for that matter.

"Oh yeah?" That's it. I stomp my way to her and chock her with one hand against a building.

"Yes, really…" I begin, but suddenly I feel slight pain in my head. Not enough to hurt me, but I can still feel it. My eyes flash dangerously as I realize she was trying to use a spell on me.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" I hiss at her. Her eyes are wide and full of confusion. Oh, was she actually trying? Maybe the Bennett line is losing their touch…

I freeze as my ears pick up sounds coming from the burning building.

Screaming…they're _screaming_! The vampires from the building are beginning to scream…that means the fire is starting to reach them.

I let go of her.

" _Please_ Bonnie! If not for me then do it for Elena. If Stefan's hurt. She will be too! I just want to save my brother! Can't you understand that?!" I scream in desperation.

Bonnie's eyes close and her hair is moving in the wind. A wind that somehow came out of nowhere. I shrug. It must be a part of the spell…

" _Go_." Bonnie says looking away from me.

"How can I trust you? I need to know I'm not walking into my death."

"Elena, Stefan, and Alaric are running to us now. I wouldn't dare let Elena see you burn to your death. She cares about you way more than you know. It'll break her if she loses you…"

I nod my head and give her my thanks.

When I get inside of the building, my senses immediately go into overdrive because of the danger. I rush into the basement in a flash. There's smoke everywhere and I pray that Damon hasn't been killed already. I look through the bodies, most of them are still alive. I recognize them from 1864…

" _Mia_?" I hear Damon cough from behind me.

"Damon! Come on, we gotta get you out of here! Where's Anna? Jeremy's worried sick." He coughs again and points to a female body with a stake sticking out of her heart. _Damnit_!

"There's nothing we can do now, let's go!" I pull Damon so that the majority of his weight is on my back. I readjust him so I have a firm grip on him before dashing to the steps. Just as I'm about to step up, someone grabs my leg.

"Mia—cough—Salvatore. I remember you…just as beautiful now as you were then. It was hell trying to talk to you—cough—because you never left—cough—Katherine's side—cough." I roll my eyes. I remember him and I didn't like him. He was bluntly disrespectful. Saying things about how he wanted to have his way with us. What he would do if he could…

I look down at him with pure disgust, "And now look at you. Groveling at my feet where you belong. You disgusting piece of shit! Enjoy hell." I sneer just before I kick him into the fire. I ignore his screams as I carry Damon out before the spell wears off.

Once I got us out of there safely, Damon and I burst into a fit of coughs. _Jeez…imagine if I smoked._

"Mia! You're alright! I was beginning to worry…" Elena runs up to me and throws her arms arm me.

"She was gone less than two minutes, Elena. Give her some space." Is Stefan's quiet reply. Elena pulls her arms away from me and walks to the side where Bonnie is standing. I look over to Stefan and I can see the effects of the device still taking its toll on him.

"Are you okay, Stefan?" I ask him. My hands grabbing his chin and turning his face toward me to check for any signs of harm.

I smile sadly to myself at how familiar this is.

He must notice it too because he gently places his hands over mine and lowers them from his face.

Stefan returns my sad smile.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Mia. I'll be fine, okay?"

" _I'm not a little kid anymore, Mia! Why do you always do that?!"_

" _Do what?" I ask softly. He frowns as he roughly removes my hands from his face._

" _That! You always act like I'm gonna break or something! I'm not a scrawny little kid anymore!" He screams in frustration. I laugh softly. He's only ten, and he already thinks he's a man._

" _You are still a kid, Stefan. You're my kid brother. And I wouldn't have it any other way." I laugh as I pinch his cheek._

The memory fades and the little boy is now replaced by a grown man. His eyes prove that he's no longer a kid, too. The things he's been through, the things he's seen...no one could through that and still be a kid in my eyes.

I smile softly, "No. I guess you aren't, are you? But I will always worry about you, Stefan. And I wouldn't have it any other way." I give him a small smile before turning my attention to Damon, Elena, and Bonnie.

"How ya feeling, Kiddo?" I ask, ruffling Damon's hair like when we were kids. Elena seems to get a kick out of this because she starts giggling.

"Don't mess up the hair, huh!" He groans as he tries to move away.

"Yep, you're doing fine." I laugh. I'm still mad at him. But I'm willing to look passed that for now. I almost lost him. Now is not the time for hard feelings.

"And so are you. I could practically smell the sex pouring from your body. So that's why you were late, isn't it? Decided to get laid before the parade, huh?" Damon smirks. I laugh.

"Now now. Stop sniffing me, Damon. It's rude. But If you must know, yes I did. It was long overdue…" we chuckle. Out of the corner of my eye I see Elena turn her head as if she didn't hear us. But not before I saw a hint of jealousy swirling in those beautiful eyes of hers.

 _If only_ _you knew that I only have eyes for you…_

I decide I don't want to talk about my sex life in front of Elena anymore. If she's uncomfortable with it, then I won't talk about it.

My eyes catch John Gilbert walking away from the scene grimly. _Bastard_ …I don't know what Isobel saw in him. Teenagers or not, he's just… _ew_.

A light tug on my arm snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Mia…I just wanted to thank you. You saved me even though I've been a horrible brother to you. I'm sorry, and thank you." I turn back to Damon and search his eyes. I can't hold back my emotions anymore. My eyes begin to tear up, but I refuse to let them fall.

"Don't thank me. What are big sisters for? We'll talk more about it later, alright? I'm just glad my brothers are okay." I smile to him.

My phone rings breaking our sibling moment. I frown when I realize it's Isobel.

Moving far enough away from the earshot of Stefan and Damon I answer her call.

"Hello?"

"Mia, I'm so glad you're okay! I promise you, John threw Damon in there on his own. The device was for the tomb vampires. It was never supposed to be for you three. I promise." I hear her say desperately.

"No. It's okay, I believe you. I swear…as for John, he'll have to deal with me now." I say dangerously.

I hear her chuckle, "Do as you wish with him. He had no right to endanger you like that. But you may what to refrain from killing him. Elena might not forgive you…he is her father after all."

"Oh I'm not going to kill him. But I'll make him wish he were dead…" I growl.

"I don't doubt it." I can practically see her smirking through the phone.

"Yeah and that bitch Bonnie has it coming too. She practically lit the match." I sneer.

"Calm down, Mia. That's Elena's best friend. You'll have zero chance with her if you do something like that. Just think about it before you do anything." Isobel says and I sigh. She's right.

"Okay. I won't. But that bitch has one more strike. Two strikes you're out. I don't play _baseball_." I spat. Glaring at Bonnie from afar.

"I know. But trust me. Elena is more important than her."

"Yeah I know, Isobel. You're right. Elena means so much more…" My words trail off as stare at Elena from a distance, taking in her beauty. My mouth slightly agape as I see her smile and hug Stefan tightly. _That smile!_

"Mia? Are you there?" Isobel's voice snaps me out of my thoughts and back into reality.

"What? Yeah, sorry. I just got distracted." I mumble.

I hear he laugh lightly over the phone, "Looking at Elena no doubt."

"No, I wasn't." I say stubbornly.

"Yes you were, I could tell…" she laughs loudly.

"Okay, Isabel, that's my cue! No more talking about Elena with you." I say I'm a sing song voice. Isobel chuckles.

"Alrighty, Mia. I'll call you soon to check on you, yeah? Oh, and for what it's worth, I think you deserve Elena more than either of them. One day, she'll realize that too…"

My heart soars at her words. I close my eyes momentarily to regain control over my emotions.

"Thank you. You don't know how much that meant to me. I love ya Isobel. Talk to you soon." I hung up the phone and let my eyes wonder back to Elena who I notice is now headed my way.

I speed up to meet her.

"Elena…" I say her name so softly, as if It's the most sacred thing in the world. Her breath hitches and she jumps a little.

"Did I scare you, Lena?" I chuckle. She rolls her eyes but can't stop the smile forming on her lips.

"Come here." She says and pulls me into a tight hug. My arms find her waist instantly and I pull her close to me. As close as I can. I bury my face in her neck and I can't help but take a long intake of breath as I savor her natural smell.

"I've missed you. And I'm sorry for not telling you I was coming back." I mumble into the crook of her neck.

She pulls apart from me and I immediately miss the warmth of her body.

"Don't be. I'm glad you surprised me. I just wanted to ask you if you could spend the night at my house later? It'll be nice to spend some time with you." My dead heart skipped at beat at her words. _She's really_ …

"Of course I will…maybe I'll teach you how to play Call of duty. But I doubt you can handle it." I tease her laughing.

"I can handle it! Bring it on!" Gosh, I just want to take her and kiss her right there _. She's so perfect_ …

"We'll see…" I smile. I pull her in for another hug, but it's quickly interrupted when I notice the sudden burning sensation at the back of my throat _. Why am I hungry again? I just fed_ …

"Elena I gotta go…I need to feed." I choke out. I see her eyes widen in realization. Then fear…

"Don't be afraid, I promised that I would never feed from you without your consent again. I'm just going to the Boarding house to get some of Damon's blood bags." I shoot her a smile reassuring smile.

"I know. I trust you, Mia. I'll call you, when I get back home."

"Sounds good." Elena moves towards me for a farewell hug but I turn away. I can barely keep myself in control right now and we're standing a good distance apart.

"It's probably best we don't, yeah? I'm hardly in control right now. I shouldn't be that close to you until I've fed."

She nods her head and I speed off. I can't afford to be near her another second.

I fumble around with my keys to my mustang. I curse myself when I accidentally drop them in my hurry to get out of this crowded place. There's just too many humans and they all smell yummy…

I shake my head as I feel my fangs protrude. _Not now_...

Once I was able to get in the car I sighed in relief because the smell of blood didn't seep through my car. The ride home was quick due to my excessive speeding. I was pushing 80 mph on a 45 mph street. It didn't matter, everyone was at the parade tonight anyway.

As I pull into the driveway I flash into the house and straight to the basement where Damon hides his personal stash of blood bags.

I quickly gulp down the blood, squeezing it to flush more blood out the bag. Growling in frustration as I realize I'm still extremely hungry. I grab another one, and then before I know it, I've already sucked 5 blood bags dry. My breathing is coming out hard and heavy. I reach in the cooler for another blood bag _. I need more…_

I'm at war with myself. I know if I drink too much I'll end up falling back into bloodlust. It's been over 30 years since I've last gone on a rampage. It's a struggle each day not to fall back into those habits and it seems harder to deal with now. Being back in Mystic Falls was hard enough but then I wasn't only faced with returning to my childhood town, but also coming face to face with a teenager who is the exact replica of my one true love—Or she was at the time. I'll admit, I was angry with Katherine for turning my brothers, but I was hurt because I lost the love of my life. Up until 15 years ago when Damon happily turned up at my doorstep, gloating about how he was the only one who knew Katherine was still alive locked in a tomb. I was livid. It was then I realized that everything I ever felt for Katherine was a lie. She was a liar. She didn't love me.

My knuckles turn white as I squeeze every last drop of blood out of my sixth blood bag.

 _I need another one…_

My brain becomes less and less clear as I suck down my seventh blood bag. My face is completely vamped out now. I know that I'm nearing the point of no return. It's so tempting just to gulp all of these blood bags down. Maybe then the burning I'm feeling right now will disappear. I reach for my _eighth_ blood bag and open it with my teeth. The blood touches my lips and I moan. It tastes better the more I drink, it's becoming more addicting with each swallow.

 _I have to stay in control..._

I squeeze my eyes shut, and I bite my tongue to try to keep my mouth shut; stopping any blood from entering my mouth.

My fangs are drawing blood on my tongue from biting down so hard. I try to form a rational thought that doesn't evolve around blood.

Suddenly, Lexi's voice rings in my mind, "… _Remember what you learned to do to stop, okay?"_

I do remember…and I'm willing to try anything to stop myself from spiraling downhill. If I do…I won't be able to spend time with Elena…

" _My name is Mia Salvatore. I am a vampire. I've lived for over a century. My father killed me and my brothers. We were all turned by the blood of Katherine Pierce. Mystic Falls is my home. I love art and music. Playing video games is how I like to pass time. When I was young I dreamed of being remembered for something great. I've always struggled with depression. During the final year of my life as a human, I found love. Now I am in love again. I am in love with Elena Gilbert…"_ I mumble to myself. I know I probably look crazy. Sitting here rocking myself as I mumble words that make no sense. But this is what I need, I need to hear it.

" _I am in love with Elena Gilbert. She is the one I truly love, not Katherine…Elena is the perfect version of the girl I once fell for. I will get through this for her. I will do whatever I need to be close to her, the love of my life…"_ My breathing slows down considerably and my fangs retract back to their normal state. I let out a sigh of relief.

 _I'm okay…_

(X)

* * *

After I managed to calm myself down I saw that I was completely covered in blood. So I decided to take a hot shower to scrub away any remains of what conspired down there. I made a mental note to steal more blood bags for Damon. I cleaned up the blood that was pooled on the floor around the cooler and I through my clothes in the trash. I put on skinny jeans and a tank top. No need to dress up just to spend the night at Elena's. Even though I couldn't help putting make up on. Just because I prefer the fairer sex doesn't mean I can't dress like a woman. I've never understood the appeal of a girl who is attracted to a butch. What's the point of being a lesbian if she imitates a man? It defeats the purpose—well, that's a personal opinion. But as my jackass of a father once told me, "There's somebody for everyone." To me that is not limited to sexuality.

I'm applying a touch of eye shadow when my phone rings.

" _You make me glooooow! But I cover up won't let it shoooooow. So I'm putting my defenses up, cause I don't wanna fall in love. If I—"_

"Hey Lena, what's up?" I try to hide my happiness at her calling me.

" _Mia..."_ she sniffs.

" _Elena what's wrong? Are you hurt? Where are you?! I'm coming!" I say panicking._

" _No…I'm on my way to the hospital. I came home late because I couldn't find my clothes…I don't know, I think someone took them, but somehow a Tomb vampire got into the house and attacked John. I called the ambulance, they just took him. I found Jeremy cooped up in his room, he tried to kill himself to become a vampire! I just don't know what to do!"_

My mouth drops. "He what?! And who gave one of those bastards' permission to come in your house? Where is Stefan! I'll call him! We have a vampire to hunt!" I say angrily.

" _No, no, Mia. Stefan's here. I'm heading down to the hospital. I just…I can't leave Jeremy. He doesn't want anything to do with Stefan right now…he actually wanted you to stay here with him. I just agreed to ask because you were coming anyway to spend the night."_

"No problem, Elena. I'm glad you and Jeremy are okay. I'm going to talk to him when I get there, okay?"

" _Thank you so much, Mia. I'll see you in a few okay?"_

"Okay. I'm on my way now."

I hang up the phone and quickly gather my things and head to Elena's house.

As soon as I pull up Elena and Stefan are already coming out of the house.

"Hey…" I say as Elena throws herself into my arms. We cut our hug short when Stefan clears his throat.

"We should probably get going, Elena." He says softly. Elena looks at me with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Yeah. We should. I'll be back in a bit. I have to fill out a police report at the hospital. Since I'm the one who found him." I nod my head.

"I know. Keep her safe, Stefan." I turn around and walk to the house.

When I'm inside I dash up to Jeremy's room. He's lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Elena told me what you did..." I say pulling up his computer chair to sit by his bed.

He huffs and turns away from me.

"Look, Jeremy, I'm not going to nag you. I'm sure you've heard enough of that. But I wanted to tell you that I get you." With my last sentence he turns around to stare at me.

"You do?" He asks surprised.

I smile sadly before looking down at my hands.

"Yeah. I was in love with a woman named Katherine. She was a vampire and they took her just like they did Anna tonight. Katherine was my one true love, like seriously. Me and my brothers were killed by our father for trying to save her. He shot them first, I held Katherine in my arms. They put a cover over her mouth. Tied her down like a fucking animal. I was hysterical but somehow through my tears I was able to force that stupid thing from around her mouth. She was weakened by the vervain, and I hated how vulnerable they made her look so I kissed her. In that moment nothing else mattered but the feel of her lips on mine. All of a sudden, I felt this excruciating pain that started in my back then spread through my whole body. I remember my father screaming something about having a lesbian for a daughter." I take a deep breath. I hadn't even told my brothers this story. I've never actually talked about it at all out loud at all.

"I was still in Katherine's arms. She tightened her grip on me as I died slowly in her arms. She kept telling me it was okay…that I was coming back. But I didn't want to come back. I wanted to die just as she was when they threw her in that church. Some men came and pulled her away from me. She said something to me, I could barely hear her, but I could read her lips. She told me she loved me. I tried, Jeremy, just to say I love you too. But my throat was clogged and my eyes were growing heavy. I hated it. I knew I'd come back a vampire, and while I wanted to do so many things when I became one, I always planned to accomplish them with _her_ by my side." By the time I've finished tears are streaming down my face. It's the first time I've told anyone that. It feels good to get it out. Something I should've done a long time ago.

"That's horrible. I'm really sorry." He says softly.

"Don't be," I laugh softly. "I'm being ridiculous. I don't love her now, my love for her is long gone. Especially after everything that's happened."

"I know about Katherine. Anna told me about her."

"My love for Katherine is long gone." I repeat again.

"Are you sure about that? You sounded like you still _loved_ her." He smirks a bit as he teases me.

"Oh, stop it, Jeremy. I love someone else now." I laugh.

"My sister." He says with a knowing smile. _Oh, that's great. CNN probably knows, too._

I pick up a small action figure he had thrown around and tossed it at him. "Piss off, Jeremy." I laugh.

"I know you love her." He replies smugly.

"Well, good. Since you know I love her, you should know that I hate it when she's not happy. Now I told you I wouldn't nag you, but I can't help it just a little. She cares about you so much. You and Jenna are all that she has. Please promise me that you won't do something like this again, okay? I can't stand to see her beating herself up worrying sick about you. Hell, _I_ worry sick about you. I care about you; I understand your pain probably more than anyone." I say reaching over to put my hand on his arm.

"Okay. I promise."

My phone rings and I look to see its Stefan.

I step out of the room, "Hey little brother, everything good?"

"No. Caroline got into a car accident. Apparently Tyler was driving and lost control over the car. Caroline's in critical condition…they have to perform surgery on her." My heart sinks. I like Caroline, even if she is the equivalent to E! news. I don't want anything bad to happen to her.

"Give her your blood, Stefan. Please." I beg.

"Damon was going to, but Bonnie didn't like that one bit."

"Oh fuck Bonnie. I'm so over bitchy witch! If Caroline dies, her blood will be on witchy's hands!"

"I know that. We'll wait a little longer before we take matters into our own hands."

"You better, if not, I'll march down there and shove the blood down her throat myself."

"Careful, one might think you were Damon in disguise." He laughs.

"Well, people always did say we acted a lot alike." I chuckle.

"Elena told me to tell you we'll be back soon. We are leaving in about 10 minutes."

"Okay. See you then."

I flash back up to Jeremy's room and I find him sleeping peacefully. I listen to his steady heartbeat and smile softly.

I decide to go into Elena's room and wait until they come back. I flop down on her bed and breathe in her scent. I let my eyes close and drift off surrounded by her natural smell.

I jump up as I hear the door shut downstairs. I look over to the clock. It's only been 15 minutes?! I'm halfway down the steps when I feel it. That familiar force of gravity. Almost like an unstoppable force pulling me towards something. It's been _years_ since I've felt like this. Even then it wasn't this strong. I blink my eyes a few times as I blindly allow myself to absentmindedly walk towards the pull.

I mentally relax when I see Elena coming through the door.

"Hey. How's Caroline?" I ask rushing down to her.

"Not good…" she says sadly.

I take her in my arms and I let my body relax. It feels _right_ to be holding her. I know I've made up my mind that I wanted her months ago, and now all of the universe conspires in helping me get what I desire. I wrap my arms around her waist pulling her closer.

But all too soon that moment is broken as I realize that it was not Elena the universe is conspiring for me to have, but _Katherine_.

I growl and throw her across the room.

"Katherine." I spat seeing her get on her feet with inhuman speed.

She smirks, "At least I was able to fool Damon. Not surprised I couldn't fool you though, our connection is stronger than that."

I sped over to her and slam her against a nearby wall.

"Feel better? You always were so aggressive with me, weren't you, _blue?"_ I cringe at the shortened version of my nickname for her. I let my face vamp out as I slam her to another wall.

"Aren't you a strong one, _moya lyubov_?" She finishes in her native tongue. I shiver at her words. _Damn her for remembering how much I loved when she spoke Bulgarian!_

Katherine and I both turned our heads at the sound of the lock clicking. She grabs my hand and breaks it, making me loosen my grip on her.

I scream in pain as I snap my fingers back into place.

 _Damnit_!

Elena, Stefan, and Damon come rush in.

"What happened?" Elena runs over to me concern written all over her face.

I look at Damon and Stefan knowing they'll figure out exactly what happened.

Damon silently curses himself before answering.

"Katherine happened."

* * *

 **A/N: P.S. I know Heart Attack wasn't even out then, but it was in this story lol.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this extremely long chapter!**

Translations:

 _Bonjour mon amour—Hello my love. (French)_

 _ça fait longtemps—It has been a while. (French)_

 _moya lyubov—My love. (Bulgarian_ )


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hola, everyone! Sorry, this chapter is long overdue. I started school at the end of August—so no time for an imagination for 4 months. haha. Also, the "fine stud Mia," was inspired by my brain needing stimulation by searching "fine stud lexa" on google images. So if you need help imagining what Mia looks like as a fine stud, search, "fine stud lexa" on google. Yes, I do love the 100, and Lexa was by far the best character!**_

* * *

 _The Stars That Connect Us_

* * *

Chapter 3: Count The Stars

 _ **Mia POV:**_

It's easy, you know. Forgetting and letting your mind remember what it wants to. It's easy to remember distorted versions of the truth, or forgetting what you want to. Seeing Katherine was like a slap in the face. A horrible part of my past that should've stayed there. It was much easier to hate her when all I had been memories that I believe to be nothing but lies. I—

"Mia!" Damon yells snapping me out of my thoughts. I turn and glare at him.

"What is it?" I snap. I'm on edge. He must know it too, because instead of having a snide comeback, he decides to let it go.

"We were just wondering if Katherine told you anything…" Elena replies gently. Immediately, my face softens and my anger fades.

"No. All she said was something about how at least she fooled Damon. I have no idea what she meant, though." I say looking back down at my hand that Katherine broke. It's all healed now…

"What did she mean by that, Damon? When were you with Elena?" I hear Stefan ask.

"I came here to check on Elena and Katherine was just going into the house. I thanked her—or I thought it was you, and we kissed."

"You what?!" Stefan and I both said in unison.

"Kissed. You know when two lips pucker and—" As if on cue, I jumped up to choke the shit out of Damon's neck. I hadn't even realized what I was doing until Elena jumped in front of me.

"Mia, stop. He kissed _Katherine_ , not me." She said putting emphasis on Katherine's name.

I growled. There is no hope for him. I cannot believe they say we're practically twins! I look at Damon with pure disgust. "You touch Elena, and I'll drive a stake through your heart." I threaten. I stare at him a second longer before turning on my heel to walk out the back door. Once I'm in the backyard, I flop down on the cool grass and stare at the stars. This used to be one of my favorite things to do while I was human, along with sitting by the waterfall.

I'm not sure how much time had passed since I began gazing at the stars, but it was comfortable and I loved that. I hear the back door close and it snaps me out of my daydream. It's Elena…

"I'm glad you didn't wonder too far. Stefan and Damon left. It's just you, me, and Jeremy right now." She says sitting down next to me.

"Good. Damon's a jerk." I mumble as I pull a handful of grass with my fingers. She laughs softly.

"He is. What's even more unbelievable is that he actually thought that I would kiss him back…I wouldn't do that."

"I know." My voice is barely above a whisper; I wasn't even sure she heard me.

"It's not who I am." She says again. For some reason, I'm starting to think she's saying this more for herself than for me.

"I know." I repeat.

"I love Stefan." Elena says as if she's trying to convince herself of something.

"I _know._ " I tell her once more as I turn my attention back to the night sky. Elena lets out a frustrated sigh.

"I _do_ love Stefan!" She says angrily.

I turn my face to meet hers as I stare at her with confusion written all over my face, "No one is doubting that, Elena. What's going on with you?" I ask her.

"Because _I'm_ doubting it," She answers. "I love Stefan, but recently I think I'm beginning to fall for someone else too…" She looks away shamefully.

"It's… _who_ is it?" I curse myself for letting my curiosity get the better of me. I'm supposed to comfort her not be nosey. Elena sits there silently for what seemed like hours, so I decide to turn my attention back to the stars.

" _You…"_ She whispers softly. It was so soft that if not for my supernatural hearing, I wouldn't have heard her. To say I was shocked is an understatement. My blue eyes are the size of golf balls as I avert my attention back to her.

"Elena I—"

"No. it's just that I wanted you to know. I know it's not fair for me to tell you this," Elena says as she runs her hand through her hair. "I just want you to know that I lied to you. There is a chance that you could steal my heart. But I promise I won't do anything until I've decided between you or Stefan. I want us to stay how we are." By the time she finishes she's out of breath.

"Okay." I say simply as I give her a sheepish grin. My smile made her blush and she tried to turn away from me. I quickly grab her chin to make her face me again.

I study her face intensely, from her flawless olive skin to her perfect plump lips; she was gorgeous. My hand absentmindedly trails over her smooth skin before I softly cup her cheek.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" I whisper. My blue eyes lock onto hers as my thumb slowly caresses her cheek.

Before she can reply, I press my lips to her forehead. I didn't stay there long, but I'm sure I got my point across.

"That will never happen again, Lena. I promise." I tell her softly. Her head nods slightly and I can't help but wish she would've disagreed and kissed me.

 _Wishful thinking…it'll never get you anywhere..._

I flop back down on the grass and gaze at the stars. Seconds later, Elena flops down next to me. And we both lay there, in a comfortable silence, gazing at the millions of stars covering the dark sky.

I couldn't imagine it any other way. Gazing at the stars with the girl I love…

* * *

 _Flashback: 1864_

" _Absolutely beautiful…" Katherine whispers as she stares in awe at my paintings. I smile sheepishly._

" _They aren't that good, are they?" I ask shyly._

 _Katherine looks at me in disbelief, "Mia, you're ridiculous. You're extremely talented, and yet you always doubt yourself." Katherine says as she wonders into the back of my painting room. I hadn't realized until it was too late._

 _I follow behind her. My throat dry and my palms are sweaty._

" _You painted_ m _e?" She asks softly as she runs her hand tentatively along the painting. She was being so careful as if not to ruin the painting._

 _I swallowed the lump in my throat. My eyes are suddenly finding the floorboards very interesting._

" _I did. I don't think it's good, though. It's hard to capture someone who possesses beauty, such as yours."_

 _Katherine turns towards me and places her hand on my cheek. I lean into her touch._

" _Kath…" I start but she cuts me off by pressing her lips softly to mine. Our lips move in a slow dance against each other. Her hand is still resting on my cheek. My eyes closed as I allow myself to surrender to this excitingly dangerous territory._

 _Katherine pulls away from me, her eyes open slowly and a soft smile forms on her lips._

" _I think it's perfect, Mia. Just like you…" She giggles at my expression._

" _Thank you…" I say shyly, my eyes avert back down to the floor._

" _You're very welcome. Now come on, love. We were supposed to watch the stars tonight, were we not?" Katherine asks me with a smirk. All I can do is nod my head dumbly before Katherine grabs my arm and pulls me through the house and out the door._

" _It's_ _absolutely beautiful here." Katherine sighs as her chocolate brown eyes stare at the stars in awe._

 _I sigh...this is perfect…_

 _I'm sure Katherine can feel my eyes are her. I just can't help how much more interesting it is to look at her rather than the stars._

 _I hear her chuckle, "You're supposed to be looking at the stars Mia. Not me."_

 _My cheeks flush red and I turn my head._

" _I'm sorry." I mumble._

 _Katherine seems to have been frustrated with my response because she sighs and lifts herself up on her elbows._

" _Why do you always do that?" She asks, her voice betrays a hint of annoyance, but still soft nonetheless._

" _Do what?" I ask turning to face her._

" _You're afraid to let go with me…is it because you are pure?" Katherine questions. My cheeks flush red._

" _No, I'm not…pure, as you put it." That seemed to have gotten her attention._

" _I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. It's just that considering your family status, I would think your father has made sure you stay pure until your marriage."_

" _He doesn't know. There…it was a friend of mine—Thomas. We were friends for as long as I can remember and I knew he was…very fond of me. He was going away to war and I gave myself to him. It was the least I could do. He was kind and I did care about him deeply."_

" _Did?" Katherine asks._

" _His family hasn't heard anything from him in over 6 months. I'm not even sure if he's alive."_

" _I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose someone close to you." She says softly._

" _It's fine, honestly. I just try not to think about it."_

 _Before I could even say what I wanted to next, Katherine leaned over and pressed her lips to mine. My breath hitched in my chest, and a gasp escapes my mouth. Suddenly, a feeling of shyness washed over me. I pulled away and turned my face so that she would no longer have access to my lips._

" _There you go again, hiding from me." I close my eyes briefly at her words._

 _Katherine seemed to have gotten impatient and decided to make another move. She huffs and straddles my waist and pulls me up so that our faces are nearly touching. I see her eyes have darkened considerably. I'm sure she can see the affect she has on me. Hell, I'm sure a blind man can see I'm practically melting in her arms._

 _My breathing is hard and rapid and I'm having a hard time controlling myself. I try to turn my head so I can block out her intoxicating smell._

" _No. Don't hide from me, Mia…" Katherine says turning my head back towards hers._

" _Katherine…" I start, but she's cut me off by kissing me softly._

" _Let go, Mia. I know you're dying to..." Katherine says as she presses our foreheads together. "Let go for me…"_

 _Something in me snapped. That's all I needed to hear. I growled and flipped us over so that I was on top of Katherine. I roughly plant kisses along her neck and collarbone. I grind into her softly and she moans._

 _Katherine smirks up at me as she cups my cheek, "There you are…my aggressive little, Mia blue-blue."_

 _We made love under the stars that night. That was the first time we'd ever had sex. And that—I daresay, was probably the night I changed completely. I was no longer the shy, timid girl that I was expected to be. No, Katherine made sure of that. And I loved every single moment of it._

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes, I had no idea that I fell asleep. The sun isn't even near peaking over the horizon and I realize I've been out here the whole night. Why didn't Elena wake me up? There are still a few stars in the sky, but you can still tell it's about to be a beautiful day.

I feel something on my chest, I look down.

 _Oh_ …

She fell asleep with her head on my chest, I just now notice my arm is wrapped protectively around her small frame. I smile softly.

I look at the sunrise and I notice how beautiful it looks. I decide to wake Elena so she can witness this with me.

"Elena," I say softly as I gently nudge her. Her eyes flutter and then shut again. "Look…I wanted you to watch the sunrise with me." I say as I run my fingers through her hair.

When I see that she's close to waking up I pull her closer to me, "Rise and shine, my beautiful Elena."

I see her stir in my arms as she opens her doe eyes. She blinks at the sky for a minute, then looks around her.

"Mia…we slept here the whole night?" She asks.

"It would seem so; I didn't even know I fell asleep until I woke up with you in my arms." I say the last part with a chuckle.

Elena blushes and tries to move out of my arms, "No you don't. You let me hold you all night long, so I'll be damned if you pull away from me now." I mumble, tightening my arms around her.

"Just look," I point at the beautiful sky. "I like watching the sun rise." I say softly. My eyes look down to see Elena looking at the beautiful sight in awe.

"It's beautiful…" she whispers. Her eyes are wide and bright as she watches the scenery before her.

"Yeah, I like it because it shows the promise of a new day. Maybe even better than the last, or maybe not. But it's still a new day. We've made it one more day…" I tell her softly.

She hums in agreement. "I've never looked at it like that. That's amazing…"

A few minutes of a comfortable silence passes before I talk again, "I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever." I have no idea where that came from, but before I could say anything she tells me, "Okay."

I'm surprised for a moment…she's okay with me saying something like that?

"You'll allow it?" I ask.

"I'll allow it…" she murmurs softly. Our eyes meet then. Looking back now, I realize it was inevitable. Falling in love with Elena was inevitable. And I wouldn't have it any other way…I'm happy if she's happy. I'll be just fine if I never have to see Katherine again. I know that Katherine will ruin what I have with Elena simply because I know that deep down, there's a part of me that still loves her. A part of me that will always love her, no matter what.

"I fed Caroline my blood." I say bluntly. I look between Elena, Stefan, and Damon not sure how they would react.

"Well, good. One less thing we have to worry about." Damon sighs. He walks over to pour himself a glass of Bourbon. He offers me one and I take it quickly. It helps a lot with the cravings…

"Thanks." I say to him. Elena and Stefan haven't moved since I told them about Caroline.

"I stayed there, guys. I made sure the blood started working. They doctor told Sheriff Forbes that she was stabilized and was recovering rapidly. She'll be fine." I tell them before I swallow my glass.

"What time does the Mayors wake start?" Damon asks.

"I think in about 2 hours. Umm, Mia? You were supposed to take me back home remember? To get that shirt you left…" Elena says to me staring at me intensely. I nod dumbly. I realize that she must want to talk to me. I couldn't disagree.

Once we are out of the house and in my red mustang, Elena finally decides to talk.

"I'm worried." She says after a sigh.

"Okay. Talk to me." I reply, starting up the car.

"I want to ask you if Katherine being back will cloud your judgement?" I still visibly at her words.

" _What_?"

"How in control are you, Mia? When Damon said, he kissed "me" you nearly lost it. Even before that, right after your confrontation with Katherine…you seemed _out of it_. You didn't seem like yourself."

"If you're implying that—" I start but Elena cuts me off.

"You still love her. And I believe that you always will. I just…Katherine will use that. According to Stefan and Damon you were always her favorite. What if she came back for you? What does that mean for everyone—for _us_?"

I take a deep breath.

"We need to find out why she came back. But the thing about Katherine is that we sure as hell won't know anything before she wants us too."

"You're avoiding my question, Mia. I need to know…that—I want to be sure that you won't try to be with her. She manipulated you before and she'll do it again!"

"You think I don't know that? I know what she's done; I know _who_ she is. Why would I…" I trail off as realization hits. My eyes close and I suck in deeply through my nose, "You think I'll fall in love with her all over again, don't you?"

Elena doesn't respond. Instead she seems to have found the window very interesting. I waited a few seconds before I decided to pull off to take her home. I back out of the driveway and speed down the street.

"Damon told me how she broke you." Elena's voice was quiet, but I heard her clearly.

"Elena…" I warn, but I can't find anything to say. I decide it's probably best to pull over. Once I've gotten to the side of the road I put the car in park and take the keys out.

"He told me everything, Mia. About the rampages, the bloodlust, the anger…everything. I want to hear it from you. Tell me your story. Mia." I bite the inside of my jaw. How am I supposed to share everything? My brothers don't even know everything, despite what they may think.

"My father used to lock me inside of my room when I was younger. Anytime he thought I "might" get out of control, he'd lock me up. At first I would brake everything in my room—bang my fists against the wall until they bled. He thought I was insane, that he'd eventually have to put me away. I was scared. I couldn't live like that. I enjoy my freedom too much, you know?"

I see Elena looking at me, giving me her full attention as I tell her the darkest parts of my history.

"So, I learned how to take my anger out in other things. I would paint, draw, or play instruments to help. My anger always scared me because it seemed to be heightened. Instead of mere anger, I felt rage. It clouded my judgement. It was so bad it was almost _animalistic._ Not to mention, I've always seemed to be stronger than most of the other vampires I've come across. Not the old ones, though." I chuckle at that last part, earning me a small laugh from Elena too.

"Once I got older, it became easier to handle," I continue. "But when Katherine came I felt…my libido increased tenfold. My aggressiveness, my sex drive, my anger, they all skyrocketed. Katherine could tell I was always holding back, just pretending to be the perfect southern belle I was taught to be. She wanted me to be free…and I did become free. I let it out. My father would hate when I rough played with my brothers. I was supposed to work on my talents, not going around playing sports or play fighting, but that's what I loved to do. She wanted to see the real me, so I showed her…"

* * *

 _Small Flashback: 1864_

 _I let out a small grunt as I tackled Stefan to the ground. He tried struggle, but I held the upper hand. I hear Damon running up behind me. He's about to tackle me too. Just as he throws himself forward I roll over to the side. I take Stefan with me and I once again pin him beneath me. I look to my left when I hear Damon groan, "We need new rules. Mia's too good for us…"_

" _Who needs rules?" I hear a voice call from behind us. I get off Stefan and fix my dress once I see who the voice belonged to. I pick up the funny shaped ball that Damon had brought back from a general who told him about the game we were currently playing._

" _Miss Katherine." I curtsy as she begins to walk towards us. I think she wants to play with us…_

" _I'm sorry, my brothers and I were just having some fun before Damon has to return to war," I say softly. "You'll have to excuse them, they like to play rough, you see…" I gesture to our dirty clothing to indicate how rough we play._

" _Well, somehow I think that you play_ r _ougher." She smirks._

 _I'm so taken aback by her beauty, that I don't realize she snatched the ball from me and started running in the opposite direction. Wow…_

" _Well? What are you two waiting for? That is a girl who clearly wants to be chased." I tell my brothers who just stand there with their mouths hanging open. I shrug, "If you don't, then I will…" Then I take off, running as fast as I can to catch up to the beautiful and mysterious Katherine Pierce._

* * *

"None of that matters anymore…Katherine is dead to me." I say. It's not exactly the truth, but I have no intention on rekindling my relationship with my former love.

"I know you still love her. I just wasn't sure how much. Just promise me that you won't let her get in your head."

I nod, "I won't let her manipulate me. I promise…" I smirk teasingly.

"Thank you, Mia. And thank you for opening up to me…" Elena smiles warmly.

"It's no problem. I'd rather it be you than anyone else…" I say smirking. I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively and she scoffs.

"You're ridiculous." Elena says trying to hold back her laughter.

"Come on. I have to get you home, Me and my brothers are going to the Lockwood's just in case Katherine shows up. I'm really hoping she doesn't…"

I walk up to the Mansion to see Tyler standing in the doorway to greet everyone.

"Mia Salvatore, beautiful as ever." He says as he brings my hand to his lips.

"You're not flirting with me, now are you? That wouldn't be so appropriate at your fathers' memorial service. It's a time for grieving, not hooking up." My feet are glued to the ground in front of the door. I cannot enter because I haven't been invited in yet. "Can you invite me in, please? I'd like to pay my respects to the mayor." I smile sweetly, hoping he'll swallow his pride and let me in.

"Come on in, Salvatore. Your brother Damon is already here." He sighs as he turns his attention to the next guest behind me.

 _Great_. I step one foot over the threshold and smile.

Just because there is a chance Katherine will show up, I've decided to go with my "fine stud" look. I'm wearing a button up shirt that's tucked inside of my slacks. My sleeves are just before my elbow and I have the first 2 buttons undone. I chose to wear light make up today, just enough to bring out my eyes. I even left my hair to hang loosely over my shoulders.

Now in other words, it's safe to say that I decided to dress comfortably but still hot at the same time. I usually dressed like this when I was living my daily life on my own. Even when I was in college, or when I worked.

I grab a glass of wine and search for Damon. I walk around for a bit before I finally find him arguing with Bonnie.

"...Doesn't undo the bad. I know what you are Damon, you might have Elena and the sheriff and everybody else fooled but not me. One wrong move and I'm gonna take you out." I hear Bonnie say darkly. _Just_ _who_ _does_ _she_ _think_ _she_ _is_?

"Now you need to stop with the witches' brew. You're starting to believe your own press." I say as I come over to stand next to Damon. I stare at Bonnie almost daring her to try something. She finally gives in and storms away in a huff.

I pat Damon's shoulder before walking away, "Keep an eye out for Katherine. Stefan's here too." I say before heading back for some more wine.

I take one sip before I feel it. That familiar pull.

 _Katherine_.

I decide to follow the force, hoping it leads me to her. She shouldn't be here. She's back for a reason and I'm determined to find out.

I'm walking and suddenly a door to a random room jerks open as if blown by the wind. _Time to investigate_ …

Katherine has Bonnie pinned against the wall by her neck. As much as I hate Bonnie, there are bigger fish to fry.

"Katherine." I greet from the doorway.

She looks over in surprise. Her eyes light up, "Mia!" Katherine says cheerfully.

"Leave her alone."

"Okay." She responds by releasing Bonnie with a push.

She walks towards me and traces her finger across my chest. "I _love_ your style…so dashing." She winks.

She giggles and turns to walk towards the appetizers. I follow reluctantly, my hands in my pockets.

"What are you doing here?"

"After the way you treated me last night, I thought that a public place would be less violent."

I shake my head in disbelief, "You're taking this a little far, don't you think? Elena could walk in any moment."

"Mmm, but that's part of the fun, Mia. Damon and Stefan are here, somewhere. I've been avoiding them." Katherine said before deciding to put a cherry in her mouth. She takes it right back out when Matt comes over to us.

"Hey guys." He sighs. I nod my head in his direction. Digging my hands deeper into my pockets.

"Hey Matt. I heard that Caroline is doing much better. Her recovery was practically miraculous; you must be so relieved." Katherine replies as she flawlessly fakes concern.

"I am. Thanks Elena." He says before walking away.

"Uh! His eyes are so blue!" She groans. "Not nearly as blue as yours though." She smirks. I bite the inside of my jaw. Whatever I do, I can't give her the satisfaction. I keep a stoic expression as I look at her.

"You need to leave, now." I tell her in a monotone voice. I can't even give her a hint of how I really feel. She deserves none.

"You're hurting my feelings, Mia." She sighs. "Damon was much happier to see me…but he thought I was Stefan's girlfriend, so…"

I sigh. "Katherine, I'm not doing this with you."

"Okay, how about we don't have a best friends fight in front of all your other friends? Walk with me?"

 _She's_ _impossible_.

"Just tell me what you're doing here."

"Maybe I missed you. Is that an acceptable reason?"

 _Yes. If it were true_ …

"What game are you playing?" I ask, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

That caught her attention, "Why, you wanna play with me?" She teases just like she would back then.

"I don't know. How can I play if I don't know the rules?" I decide to entertain her back.

 _I'll play her dumb game for now_ …

She looks me in the eyes, then. I gasp softly as I notice how soft her eyes are, "No rules, Mia. Don't you remember? No rules." She begins to walk away. She looks back at me and holds out her hand. _This woman will be the death of me._

I walk towards her and she smiles, her hand still extended. I take her arm in mine as we walk out of the mansion. I try to ignore the smugness that's practically radiating from her. I roll my eyes…

We end up walking the grounds, Katherine's arm still tucked between mine.

"The Lockwoods' have a lot more land than they used to. The possessions from all the tomb vampires built them quite a fortune." Katherine says looking around the land.

I hum in response, "Yeah, why did you want them dead anyway?"

"There's nothing more annoying than a vengeful vampire. Just ask John Gilbert." She chuckles.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" I ask rolling my eyes.

"But you have. You're stronger, meaner. It's sexy." She says as she displays her signature smirk.

"Don't flirt with me, Katherine, I'm not Damon. I didn't spend 145 years obsessing over you." I tell her.

"By your secret love interest, I'd say otherwise. Although it does bother me that you've fallen in love with someone else."

"No. I fell out of love with you a long, _long_ time ago. We fooled around, but that was it. After I turned, I realized I was never in love with you."

"Believe what you want, Mia. But I know the truth, and deep down so do you." She pokes me with her finger before trailing it down to my stomach. Katherine giggles then brings her finger to her mouth.

So, _cute_ …

"The truth? Well the truth is, you're the same lying, selfish, manipulative bitch that you've always been. So, whatever it is that brought you here, why don't you just get on with it and leave town? Because if you don't, I will hunt you down and I will rip your heart out."

That wiped the smile right off her face.

"You want to know why I came here, Mia? I came back for you." The tone in her voice was serious. So, I've hit a nerve, huh?

"Well the problem is that I _hate_ you." I spat.

I didn't notice until it was too late that she picked up an iron rod from the ground and plunged it into my stomach. I yelped in surprise.

"You hate me, huh? Well, that sounds like the beginning of a love story, _moya_ _lyubov_ , not the end of one." She runs off then, leaving me in doubled over in pain. I bite my lip to keep from crying out as I remove the rod.

* * *

"Are you going to be okay?" Elena asked staring at me with concern. I chuckle and wave it off.

"Yeah, it's already healing. See?" I point to the newly formed skin around the wound.

"That's not what I meant, Mia." She says seriously. I sigh and stare off in front of me. The stoic look returns.

"I was trying to figure her out. I was playing along and I let her get to me. I'm sorry."

Before Elena can reply Stefan and Damon jog back over.

"We tried to track her, but she's gone. Better watch out Elena. Katherine's here to steal your guy…and _girl_ …" I roll my head to glare at Damon.

"Seriously?" I scoff. He's unbelievable.

"That's not what's happening." Stefan says dismissively.

"Isn't it? I mean it's only fair since Mia and I went after your girl."

 _Yeah...my brothers are idiots._

"Okay…well, I'm going to check on Jenna and Jeremy. Let me know when you guys are done." Elena says throwing down the cloth that she used to help clean my blood.

"Yeah, I'm going with you…" as soon as I get up Damon pushes me back down.

"No. This is between all of us. Because you're in love with her too."

"Yes of course. Let's talk about that…" I mumble sarcastically.

"So what's it gonna be, dear siblings of mine. All three of us fight to the death?" Damon asks punching the air. I snort at his stupidity. "Go ahead. Make your threats, state your claim."

Stefan and I glance at each other. My right eyebrow raises slightly in question. He nods his head.

I clear my throat before responding, "We're not going to fight you, Damon. Calm down."

"Why?! I'd fight me!" He yells.

"Exactly why you're, Damon. The crazy impulsive vampire. We can't do that to each other. Katherine is going to try to play us against each other, you do know that, right?" I sigh. I begin messing with my finger nails to show how bored I am with this conversation.

"Well what crawled up your butt and died?" Damon questions after a few seconds. It's obvious that I have no interest in the whole _debacle_ anymore.

"Nothing at all, Damon. I'm just over this. You can sit here and make this whole Elena thing bigger than what it is, but at the end of the day it's _her_ choice. I don't have time to entertain this any longer…" I don't give him a chance to say anything before I'm walking off to find Elena.

"Is everything okay?" I ask once I've found her. She's talking to Bonnie and they both look at me like they've been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"What am I interrupting?" I ask looking between the two of them.

"Nothing-it's…" Elena starts but then decides not to finish.

"Well, let me know when it isn't _nothing_ anymore." I grumble before trying to push pass them.

"Mia…" Elena says as she grabs my arm, "Come sit with me. We can talk." She gestures to the chairs.

"Bonnie told me that she was attacked by Katherine," she begins.

That can't be what she wants to talk about…it's too much tension for it to be just about that…

"Yeah, I know. I saw." I say simply as I shove my hands in my pockets.

"Do you know why?" She asks softly.

I shake my head, waiting for her to continue.

"She told Bonnie that she almost got you killed. Somehow she heard that we were under the impression that Bonnie deactivated the device, therefore we thought it was safe to be there yesterday. Apparently, she attacked John for the same reason."

"She's lying, Elena. Katherine…she told me that she came back for me. She probably wants me to trust her. Don't you see?"

Elena looks at me, her eyes betraying her pain.

"What I see is a beautiful girl who's in denial over the effect she has on those around her." She tells me gently. I feel my heart sink.

I shake my head, "You think she actually loves me? I'm telling you, Katherine is a liar. Besides I'm in love with someone else. I don't care about her."

"I know, Mia. It's just…I'm scared for you. I'm scared for my friends, Jenny, and Jeremy…and everyone that I care about."

"Then I'll leave," I begin. Elena's eyes stare at me in disbelief. "If Katherine really is here for me then she'll be sure to follow. If not, well then, at least we know I'm not the one that's holding her here."

"No. That's not what I meant, Mia. You can't keep running away every time something bad happens! I trust you. That should be enough." Elena says firmly.

"I'm sorry Elena, but at least we'll know for sure. And I promise I'll come by and say goodbye tonight." I say. I know that if I continue this conversation she'll convince me to stay. I know that if Katherine is here for me, then I'm the reason everyone is in danger. There's no way I can stay knowing that…

"If I'm right—which I'm sure I am; I'll be right back. There's no way that Katherine randomly decided to come back to Mystic falls 145 years later. She's here for a reason. A reason definitely deeper than her coming back for me."

"Mia just—" But I don't let her finish.

"I'll text you later. Please don't make it harder on me." I have to get out of here.

How can I stay if what Katherine said is true? If she's here for me, I have to leave. She's hurting my friends by being here—she's too dangerous. I cannot allow anything to happen to Elena, or my brothers.

First things first, I must find a way to say goodbye to Elena…

(X)

I've just finished my surprise for Elena. It's 11 pm, but at least it's a Friday night so it's not too late. I've already texted her to come over. My heart aches as I stare at the picture, inspecting for perfection. I decided to sketch a picture of Elena and her friends. It was the best I could do in such little time. I just hope it's enough to make her forgive me.

I sigh before heading to the bathroom to wash off the graphite smudges on my hands. Rinsing them thoroughly as I contemplate my decision to leave town.

I _t's for the best_ …

I splash some water on my face and look into the mirror. I remember when I was young, I would always spend time making goofy faces in the mirror. Then as I got older, I spent time admiring myself. I haven't taken the time to truly look at myself in years. Sure, I'll look as I put on makeup or even to make sure I'm presentable before I leave the house, but I don't linger. I don't see _me_.

My face, while frozen in time, no longer looks _young_ …while I may look exactly how I did the day my heart stopped beating over a hundred years ago, my face now holds a certain maturity to it…that childlike innocence it once held when I was human, gone. A constant reminder of how long I've lived.

My eyes, though…now that's what really gets me. When I was human I always said, my eyes were my favorite feature. My eyes were bright and _alive_. Now they appear cold, dull… _old_. They no longer hold the same spark that they did in my youth…the same spark I see in Elena's eyes, Jeremy's, and all the rest. I quickly realize my eyes have now become my _least_ favorite feature. I even smile, just hoping that maybe my eyes will brighten up, I see I was wrong.

 _A smile that doesn't reach the eyes_ …

I don't think I understood that phrase better than I do now. Old, calculating… _guarded…_ are the best words to describe them. A constant reminder of all the pain I've been through. Pain that even a 20-year-old should never have to experience. Pain that I've been dealing with for years now…

" _Mia?"_

Her voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I quickly turn off the water before responding.

"I'm up here, Elena!" I walk out of the bathroom just in time to see her walking up the steps.

"Hey…" she says before she pulls me into a bone crushing up. I smile and sniff her hair…I've never realized how much I love the smell of vanilla until I smelled it on her.

"I've got something for you." I tell her softly, pulling away from the hug, and pulling her arm towards my bedroom.

I lead her over to my desk where I drew the picture. I watch as her eyes go from curious to recognition to amazement.

"Mia…you drew this? I mean, you've always told me you could draw but I never expected _this_ …It's amazing!"

My eyes lower to the floor. Even after all these years praise about my talents turn me into a shy little teenager all over again. "Thank you…" I smile softly.

"It's my apology for having to leave…I know you don't think—" She cuts me off by pressing her lips to mine. I'm frozen on the spot as her lips move slowly against mine. I blink a few times and before I know it she pulls away.

 _Screw my body. The girl I love just kissed me and I'm standing here like an idiot!_

Elena's sweet brown eyes staring at me with such intensity it makes me weak. It's those kinds of moments where if I was human my pulse would race ten times faster and my throat would get dry. Her lips are glossy and parted ever so slightly as she breathes a little harder than usual.

"Now I'll never be able to leave you…" I say as I look at her sadly. Why did she have to kiss me? It makes leaving so much harder…

Elena steps closer to me and takes my hand into hers, "Then don't. Stay here with me—with all of us, me, Jeremy, Caroline, Damon, Stefan—"

"Because if Katherine, for once in her life is telling the truth then they'll be no such thing as a Jeremy, Caroline, Damon, or Stefan to stay for! She'd even kill you. I can't take that, Elena. She can't kill you…not _you_ …" I turn my back from her to hide my tears. I can't let her see me like this.

Elena places her hand on my shoulder in attempt to make me face her, " _Don't_ ," I continue, "I'm not going to take chances on everyone's lives just because I'm in love with you."

"You know I would never ask you too. I truly believe that Katherine is here for something other than you, and so do Stefan and Damon. So, Stay." She pleads from behind me. I fear if I look at her my resolve will be broken.

"Okay, if you guys are right, Katherine won't follow me and I'll turn around and come right back into town. I'm willing to forsake my happiness to make sure everyone is safe."

"But that's the thing, Mia. Don't you deserve a happy ending, too? Don't _we_ get at least that?" My breath hitches as I turn to face her. Blue meets brown as I study her face. I keep my face passive—void of any emotion at her words.

My eyes soften as I look at her face, practically pleading me not to leave her behind. This would've been much easier had I flipped my humanity switch beforehand.

Her skin is as smooth as a baby under my hand as I gently caress her cheek. She leans into my touch and her eyes flutter close for a second.

"Perhaps we do…" I reply softly.

I lean down and press my lips against hers. It was magical, to say the least. All I felt was the wonderful feeling of her soft lips slowly moving against mine. Everything we couldn't say in words were spoken in this kiss. Elena runs her hands through my hair, gently scratching my scalp. I make a calm purring sound in the back of my throat.

I have a soft spot when people run their hands through my hair…it turns me into a little puppy.

Elena breaks away suddenly.

"You're crying…" She says as her hands gently wipe away my tears.

I chuckle, "I'm sorry. It's just…it felt amazing. I've never—I haven't felt something like that in a long time."

"Then stay. And if you don't, then at least take me with you."

"Elena you know I can't do that." I sigh.

"Well then it looks like I'm tagging along—"

She stops talking when I rip off her necklace that I know Stefan laced with vervain. She tries to back away from me, and the sight breaks my heart. Does she think I would hurt her?

"Please…don't. I don't want to forget, please." Her eyes are filled with tears as they stare into mine almost begging me to reconsider.

"I won't. Trust me…" I tell her. I place my hand under her chin so I can see her eyes.

"You will not speak of anything that happened tonight to anyone. Do not mention our kiss especially. Act as you have been. Remember I'll be back soon and to call me every day I'm gone. Remember that I…that I love you. And I'd do anything to keep you safe. Know that I want you to find happiness, you understand?" I watch as her pupils dilate with my own. She nods her head obediently.

I put her necklace on before her eyes refocus and quickly dash out of the room. Leaving her standing there with my drawing in her hand.

Once I'm in my car I finally let my tears flow freely. I shake my head at my stupidity before starting my car.

I _love_ _you_ …

(X)

Driving away was even harder than walking away it seems…the closer I got to leaving the town, the more it hurt. But it must be done…

I decide to turn on some of my classical music in the car to help soothe me. I took my eyes off the road to adjust the radio, and when I look back up I see Katherine standing in the middle of the road with that stupid smirk on her face. "What the hell?" I grumble to myself as the car slows to a stop.

Putting the car in park, I beep the horn _. Can she move_?

"Where do you think you're going?" She yells loud enough for me to hear in the car.

I roll my eyes as I decide to get out of the car.

 _When did she get so annoying?_

"What do you mean?" I ask innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me. The dumb façade doesn't suit you. This is the only road out of town, so I'll ask again. _Where_ _are,_ _you_ _going_?" She asks, putting emphasis on each word as she repeats her question.

"Away from here." I mumble.

"Yes, I can see that. Why?" Katherine asks, folding her arms across her chest.

"No reason." Is my simple reply.

"Hmm, so it wouldn't have anything to do with my _annoying_ little doppelgänger now would it? Your little meeting with her got pretty… _heated_ with all those kisses, don't ya think?" My eyes snap to meet hers. I can see the fire in them…

 _She's_ _angry_ …

"It's a little rude to eavesdrop, don't you think?" I mock.

"Perhaps," she begins. "I was there to tell Damon the truth."

I raise an eyebrow, "Which is…?"

"He asked me if I was in love with him, and he wanted the truth so I told him no. I was never in love with him. It was always _you_."

 _Liar_.

"Do you ever stop lying? You wonder why I fell in love with Elena? Well, it's because she's everything you aren't. She puts everyone else before herself. She's compassionate, kind…selfless, and you're…manipulative, and evil. You don't care about anyone but yourself. I am _so_ over you." Okay that last part isn't exactly true, but I'm angry at Katherine because she's the reason I have to leave Mystic Falls. She should just go back to where she came from.

I watch as she bites the inside of her jaw. Her face changes completely. She no longer looks playful, but dark and menacing as her anger shows its ugly head.

"I did what I had to do!" Katherine says angrily. Her fangs begin to form and I realize that taunting her may have been a mistake.

"Who cares? Suck it up. I've fallen for someone better than you. Sue me." I say shrugging. I know I'm playing with fire here. My anger is from the fact that I must leave the people I care about because of her. I guess I shouldn't have lied about not loving her, but I don't see the point in telling the truth either. It will _never_ be.

A fist connecting with my face snaps me out of my thoughts and back into reality. I recover quickly as I flash back on my feet.

Katherine looks at me seething. I only see red.

I vaguely remember flashing over to Katherine and the rest is a blur.

When I finally calm down we are both on our knees panting heavily. Rapidly healing bruises and cuts all over both of us.

I have no idea how long we fought, only that we both seemed exhausted.

"You're strong…" Katherine pants.

"Yeah…" I say trying to control my breathing.

"And even after 145 years, you're still so aggressive…" she says practically purring.

"Stop, Katherine." I say as I let my body fall back on the ground.

"You know, I quite liked the 1864 Mia who was in love with me…" Katherine sighs. I roll my head to the side and I see she too is lying on her back looking at the sky a few feet away from me.

"Yeah? I figured you would because it was easy to manipulate me." I mumble. My eyes are staring at the sky looking at all the beautiful stars' billions of miles away.

Katherine sighs loudly, "Of course you'd think that was the reason." I decide not to reply and just continue to look at the sky.

"Do you remember when we used to do this back then? And the first time we ever had sex was in the grass under the stars…" Katherine says after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah…" I comment.

Of course, I remember…

"Have you been back there? To the field where we first made love?" _Absolutely_ _not_ …

"Nope. I'd rather not live in the past, Katherine. We shared some great times, but I'm not in love with you…I _can't_ be."

"I don't believe that. You've loved me for 145 years. You thought I was dead, and only when you found out I wasn't, that's when you decided that your hate would overpower your love for me." Jesus! How is she so good at reading me?

"Sure. The most important thing you said was I decided my hate would overpower my love for you. I decided I wanted to hate you, and eventually I started to truly hate you. Simple as that." After I finish I decide to get up and start walking back to my car. I didn't even spare Katherine a glance.

"If you decide to leave town it'll be for nothing. I won't follow you. If I leave I would head into the opposite direction. I won't follow you out of town." She says softly.

I sigh in relief. I won't have to leave Elena with my idiot brothers after all…

"But I will say this," Katherine sighs, "You've loved me for 145 years. So, I think you can love me again…" I feel a gust of wind and I know she's gone.

 _That woman needs a hobby…_

* * *

Elena doesn't know I came back. It's been almost a whole day and I've basically avoided her. Instead I've been doing some digging, trying to find out what Katherine came back for. Cause it sure as hell isn't for me.

"…You remember the one I told you about? The vampire that manipulated me and my brothers? She's back."

I pause as I let the information sink in, "Yes, that's right. Katherine Pierce."

I frown as I realize what he just said, "You mean to tell me she came back with someone? Who?"

My hand grips the phone tightly as he fails to be able to give me more information.

"OK well since I see your usefulness is _limited_ , can you tell me what you've heard about her. Anything that may be useful?"

"A vampire named Elijah? Uh hmm, and what does he have to do with Katherine?" I ask rubbing my temples. My right hand picks up my pen to write down the name _Elijah_.

My eyes widen at this new piece of juicy information.

"So you're telling me that you've heard this _Elijah_ …" I say his name almost mockingly. "Knew Katherine when she was human? Where is he then?" Saying it out loud made it sound even more ridiculous.

"You don't _know_?" I spat. My grip on the phone tightens, "Well you've been the most useless person I've talked to. All you've given me are things that you've heard from others! Nothing more than rumors!" I yell before mashing my finger on the screen to hit the end button. I slam my cell phone on the desk with a loud sigh.

 _Damnit_!

I run my fingers through my hair in attempts to calm myself.

"You make me gloooow, but I cover up won't let it shooooow…."

" _Hello_?" I answer quickly.

* * *

Elena POV:

" _Hello_?" My heart beats faster when I hear her voice. She sounds stressed, which immediately triggers my concern.

"Hi, Mia. How are you?"

" _Elena_ …" the way she says my name is almost magical. As if it's the most precious thing in the world.

"How are you?" She asks me. It takes me a moment before I realize that question requires an answer. I was lost in hearing her voice that I hadn't realized…

"I'm holding up, well. How are you?" I stutter.

"That's good, and I'm doing fine. My brothers driving you insane yet?" She chuckles.

" _Yes_ …when are you coming back? Caroline is out of the hospital and there's that carnival tonight…I just wish you were here to go with me." I immediately regret my words. I don't want to sound clingy…

"I'll be there. What time?" She chuckles. I didn't expect her to say that at all.

"Wow, I didn't expect that," I laugh nervously. "It starts at 6 tonight."

I hear the phone move on the other end and I conclude that she's probably checking the time.

"I can be there by 7. Is that okay?" She asks hopefully.

A full-blown smile makes its way to my face, "Definitely. I'll see you then?"

"See you then, Elena. Don't have too much fun before I get there, alright?" She teases.

" _Never_." I breathe.

"I…I lo-I'll see you there. I have a few things to finish before I get ready." My heart skips a beat as I realize what she almost told me.

' _Remember that I…that I love you…'_ I hear her voice say in my head. Why couldn't she just say it again, now?

"No problem, see you tonight." I say softly before hanging up. I hold the phone close to my chest and I let out a ragged sigh before going to get ready for the carnival.

"Who was that?" Bonnie asks emerging from my closet holding two shirts. She goes to look in the mirror before frowning after she still couldn't decide which shirt to wear.

"The red one," I sigh.

"Really? I never thought red was really my color," Bonnie says before returning to my closet to put back the blue shirt. I shrug before sending a text to Mia.

To: Mia: _Thank you for making the time to come, it means a lot._

Almost instantly, my phone buzzes on the bed.

From: Mia: _Anything for my favorite Gilbert!_

I let out a loud chuckle upon reading her text. Bonnie is looking at me skeptically.

"Who were you talking to? Was it Stefan?"

"Uh, no. I was calling Mia." Bonnie stops what she's doing to look at me.

"Mia? Is Katherine with her?" She asks. My response is instant. My body goes stiff as I let her words sink in.

"Why would she be with Katherine?" I say almost defensively.

"Isn't she supposed to be luring Katherine out of town? If so, wouldn't she be with her now?"

"Maybe we were right and Katherine's motive was something other than Mia." I shrugged. I'm just happy she'll be with me tonight.

"There's something I want to ask you," Bonnie starts as she flops down on the bed facing me. "How do you feel about Mia?" She stares at me for a while as I contemplate my answer. I know how I feel…but do I feel comfortable enough to share?

"I like her," I say simply. "She's honestly not as bad as you think she is. I know you have a vendetta against vampires and I get it, trust me. But she honestly cares about me. She's not like Damon. She does struggle with her anger but that's out of her control sometimes. I…I care about her. I just want to be close to her. Whatever happens, happens I guess."

"What about Stefan? He's still your boyfriend, Elena. And up until recently, I didn't even know you were attracted to girls, I think that's something my best friend should have mentioned as long as we've known each other."

"It never came up, Bonnie. I was with Matt at the time. It's not like I was attracted to any girl for you to know. But we really don't have time for this. Caroline's waiting." I jump off the bed to put on my shoes.

* * *

Mia POV:

I sigh as I cross out yet another name. Katherine sure knows how to fly under the radar. Maybe I should consider this Elijah person. If what my last source said was true, he knew Katherine when she was human. That means he would know her patterns and motives. I dial an old friend of mine who's been a vampire for at least 700 years.

"Hola, Jackson. It's been a long time…"

" _Is this Mia Salvatore? I was starting to think you went off the rails again and forgot all about me!"_ He says chuckling.

"Ha ha, very funny Jackson. I'm calling for a reason though…"

" _Ah, yes. They always do, now don't they? What is it? Want to go back to how we were in the 80's? That was a fun time…"_ I laugh at the memories.

"Go back to being a player who dominated the women's hearts and basically became the definition of a heartthrob?"

" _But we were so good at it though. Who would've thought you could teach me something about the female anatomy. Especially since I'm 3 times your age, youngster."_ He replies like a brat. I could just imagine him mocking me like he did the first time I showed him the best way to trigger a woman's orgasm. We had a game back then; a competition to see who could have sex with the most girls. But that's not want determined the win. We had to practically make them obsessed and always wanting more. If he had sex with a girl, but I was able to have sex with her too and after that she only wanted me then I got a point. He didn't think I stood a chance, but he had no idea of the _talents_ I have been blessed with…

"That was fun, Jackson, and I would've been willing to kick your ass in that game again, anytime, until very recently…" I sigh.

" _Oh? Has the heartthrob, Mia Salvatore finally fallen in love?"_ I hear the surprise in his voice; the disbelief.

"You sound like I've never been in love before…" I say softly referring to my time with Katherine. Of course, he knew all about me, since we've been friends since I was a baby vamp.

" _Katherine. Yeah I know."_ He mumbled.

"Well that's the thing, Jackson. I'm back home in Mystic Falls with my brothers and Stefan's girlfriend is Katherine's fucking carbon copy; they look exactly like, it's scary. Long story short, I have feelings for her and she has feelings for me, but then Katherine came and screwed everything—"

" _Katherine? Didn't you say she was dead?"_

I sigh when I remember what I have to catch him up on.

"Yeah, turns out she was a lying bitch and she never died. But the problem is that she's come back now. She keeps saying she came back for me, but I don't think so. She's back here for a reason—a plot of some sort. One of my little spies told me that they believe she came back with someone, but couldn't give me a name. Then he told me that he has been hearing things about a vampire named Elijah that Katherine knew when she was human. He mentioned something about him being after her for something she did to him back then…I'm not surprised, really. Katherine fucks with everyone."

" _Huh…and you say his name is Elijah?"_

"Yes, that's what I've been told. Can you find anything on him, if he exists at all?" I ask.

" _Certainly. I'll call you when I find anything, alright?"_

"Thank you, Jackson. I really appreciate this." I sighed.

" _Anything for the heartthrob baby vamp."_ He chuckles.

Before I could respond, my phone beeped to signify another call.

 _Damon…_

"Jackson, I gotta go. Dimwit Damon is calling."

I switch the call with a sigh, "You better have a very good reason to bother me, Damon."

"Sorry to interrupt your gloomy phase, but this is more important."

"Okay, shoot."

"There is something up with the Lockwoods."

"Umm…You're asking me…?"

"No, I mean not really—the point is, there's something up with them. Stefan arm wrestled Mason—"

"Mason, who is Mason?"

"Tyler's uncle—"

"Tyler has an uncle? Since when?"

"Since forever, but he's back in town for some reason—"

My eyes snapped up.

"When did he come back?" I ask sitting upright a bit.

"The day of the Mayor's wake, but that's just what I wanted to talk about. I don't think he's human."

I pick up my pen and jot down some more notes.

 _Mason Lockwood, arrived in town 2 days ago._

 _Katherine Pierce, arrived in town 2 days ago._

My eyes widen as I remember the conversation I had not too long ago…

' _You mean to tell me she came back with someone? Who?'_ My brain is racing now…

It's not until the word _werewolf_ comes out of Damon's mouth that I realize I was completely ignoring him.

"Werewolf?" I ask, stopping Damon in mid-sentence.

"What? Know anything about werewolves?"  
"A little bit. I know their bite kills vampires. Best to stay clear of them on a full moon—well, from what I have heard, anyway…I honestly don't know much about them. I don't even know if they're real, or something made up to scare vampires."

"Well, all I know is the Lockwood family isn't human. Not by a long shot." He says.

"So you say Tyler Lockwood is one of them?"

"I believe that's something that still needs proven, there's definitely something up with his uncle though. And that would explain why Mayor Lockwood was affected by the device."

 _Hmm…that's true._

"Here's what you need to do, Damon. Compel someone to pick a fight with Tyler. Tell them to get him mad and not to back down, got it?"

"Couldn't have thought it better myself. Is my partner in crime making a comeback? Maybe Katherine coming back was a good thing after all."

I roll my eyes, "Just get it done, Damon. I'm on my way, now." I hang up before he can say anything else to annoy me.

As I pull up to the carnival, my phone buzzing just as I am about to get out of the car.

" _What,_ Damon. I'm just pulling up."

"We have a problem…"

"Tyler killed the kid you compelled?"

"What, no! Caroline…she's a vampire. She came at me with a message from Katherine."

My grip tightens on the phone. _Damn_ _it_!

"What message?"

" _Game_ _on_."

I let out a ragged breath. What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

Then it hit me… _retaliation_.

"Damon, where are you? I'm getting out of the car now."

"I'm trying to convince them that Caroline needs to be killed. She won't be able to control it."

"What? No! She can learn—"

"Look around you, Mia! There's not time for her to learn. It's only a matter of time before she kills someone!"

"I don't care. It would kill Elena."

"Oh, that's right. Whatever Elena wants, Elena gets." He scoffs.

"We aren't killing Caroline, Damon." I whisper as two students walk by me.

"The old Mia wouldn't have hesitated. You would've killed her before she had the chance to blink."

"The old Mia wasn't in love, Damon. I won't cause the girl I love anymore pain. And if you do anything to Elena, directly or indirectly, I will rip you to shreds."

"This is bigger than Elena, and as soon as you and Stefan start realizing that maybe you won't hesitate to do what needs to be done."

"Whatever." I sigh. Just as my finger hits the end button, my nose catches a whiff of _blood_.

The sweet smell makes my mouth water. I can feel fangs beginning to grow as I get closer to the scent.

I _t's so much blood…this person was attacked_ …

"Get away from me! You killed me!" Caroline screams.

I'm close enough that my supernatural hearing is able to pick up the conversation.

"No no no no, Caroline! That wasn't me, you know that! That was Katherine!" Elena tries to calm her.

"No! Then why did she look like you? Why, why would she do this to me?"

"Stefan…we've got to get her out of here…" I hear Elena say in a low voice.

"It's okay, Caroline. Come with me." Stefan says calmly.

I try to follow the sound as quickly as I can without using my vampire speed. There are too many people around.

"She _will_ die. It's only a matter of time."

' _Leave_ it to _Damon_ …' I think, mentally slapping myself for not keeping him on the phone a tad longer.

"Yeah, maybe so, but it's not gonna happen tonight." Stefan answers.

"Oh yeah it is."

I run up just in time to see Elena throw herself in front of Caroline. Damon standing 2 feet in front of her, a stake gripped tightly in his hand. I speed up behind him, my hand pulling his arm behind his back. I let out a low growl.

"Damon, she's my friend." Elena pleads, her eyes never leaving his.

"Come off it, Damon. Let's not do this tonight, we've got bigger fish to fry." I say nodding to the dead guy I assume Caroling killed.

"Damn you, Mia. You and Katherine always know how to make an entrance!"

" _Caroline_?" The annoying voice of Bonnie Bennett fills my ears.

"It's okay, come on." Stefan tries to pull her away.

Bonnie eyes are wide as she grabs her arm, probably to confirm the fact that she is indeed a vampire.

"Oh god!" Bonnie gasps looking at the dead body.

I roll my eyes and walk over to Caroline.

"She hates me! Bonnie hates me!"

"No, no, she's just in shock, we all are." I whisper as I run my fingers up and down her back in hopes to soothe her.

"And what about Matt?!" Oh, jeez, she's hysterical again…

"Sshh. One thing at a time, let's get this blood off, come on." I say quietly. I wave Stefan to come with us.

I begin wiping some of the blood off around her face.

"I'm a murder! I'm a monster!" T _his is why I usually don't do teen drama…_

"Look at me, your emotions are heightened right now. It's part of the transformation. it's completely normal. I promise you. Okay?" Stefan chimes in.

Caroline's face beings to transform again, and she starts to freak out. Her breathing is rapid and short.

"Why does this keep happening to my face?!" She screams.

"Look at me, look at me, look at me! Caroline, Caroline! Look at me! Look at my face, look at my face!" I say as I let my fangs protrude and my veins pulse around my eyes. She looks at me through tear filled eyes, but she's beginning to calm down, so I keep talking."

"You see that? When you feel the blood rushing, you tell yourself that you're going to get through it, that you're strong enough. Yes, yes, no matter how good it feels to give yourself over to it, you fight it off, you bury it. Watch me, watch me," I let my face change back to normal. "It's the only way you're gonna survive this thing. Try."

Caroline takes a deep breath before her face returns to normal.

"That's good!" Stefan and I say in unison.

"Why did Katherine do this to me?"

"I…I don't know. I wish I did. But we won't let anything happen to you, okay? I promise." Stefan says as he pulls her into a hug.

"…Bonnie stop it!" We hear Elena yell from outside.

I quickly run through the bathroom door to follow the sound of Elena's voice.

Once I'm outside I see Bitchy Bonnie has my brother under a spell practically making him burn to death. Elena is trapped between the fire and I see red.

I flash over to Bonnie, breaking her concentration, I push her down on the ground and straddle her waist. I wrap my hands around her neck, strangling her hard.

"I told you…if you ever lay a hand on either of my brothers I'd kill you!" I push down harder, "And you hurt Elena…" My face fully vamps out as I look at her annoying face. There's a vein popping out on the side of her head, and I can tell she's getting weaker.

"Mia, please! Stop…please! It's okay!" I hear Elena scream from afar...

I feel her arms wrap around my waist, trying to calm me down.

 _That's strange…she sounds far away…_

"Elena! Get back! She's not in her right mind! She'll kill you!" Stefan screams from behind.

 _Why do they sound so far away_?

"Mia…you're slipping, please come back…" She pleads in my ear.

My eyes widened as I feel her tears fall on my neck. I can hear her soft whimpering; she keeps her arms around my waist as she cries silently in my ears.

"Don't kill her…" she sniffs.

I feel my fangs retract and my eyes return to normal at her pleas. My hands loosen their grip around Bonnie's neck as she chokes and tries to move from under me.

I retort back like I've been burned.

"Elena I'm so sorry…" I mumble, pulling her towards me.

My heart aches because I have no idea how to deal with this…

* * *

 **Elena** _**POV**_ :

I haven't heard from Mia since she ran away after almost killing Bonnie.

I should be angry with her, but I can't bring myself to be. Bonnie is one of my best friends, but I have no problem admitting when she's wrong. She practically signed her own death wish the moment she she tried to burn Damon. I sigh as I pick up my diary and begin to write.

' _Mia Salvatore…over the last few days we've taken our relationship further than it was ever supposed to go. Of course I knew how she felt something for me, from the time she held me in her arms when we first met. I knew then too…how much I was attracted to her._

 _Stefan…I love him so much and I know it's wrong of me to fall for his sister, I just can't seem to help it. It's almost uncontrollable._

 _Jeez, that makes me sound so much like Katherine. The ageless vampire that struck havoc in their lives long ago. Is it wrong that I understand her? While Katherine can't be trusted, I do not have a single doubt in my mind when Mia said she told her she came back for her. That may have not been the only reason, but it is part of it._

 _Some part of Mia still loves Katherine. Whether she'll ever admit it—which I can't help but be thankful for—is another story._

 _I know Mia would never hurt me…not intentionally. But she has no idea that it hurts me to see her going through this inner struggle. I want her to know that I'm here for her. I will always be here. Until my last breath…'_

A sigh escapes my mouth as I find my eyes absentmindedly admiring her drawing of my friends and I.

Suddenly, sleep takes over and I find myself rolling over to put my head on the pillow.

* * *

 _ **Mia**_ _**POV:**_

I hop on Elena's window sill and find her sleeping soundly. A soft smile tugs on my lips and I walk over to the bed.

I notice she fell asleep without the covers on, so I pull them over her and she snuggles against them almost instantly.

"You have no idea…what you do to me, Lena. I love you so much. You're my weakness…but more than that, you are my _humanity_. Don't ever leave me…" I whispered. I let out a soft whimper as I thought about how my life would be if she were so longer there.

I smile when I see her shift in her sleep.

' _I should go. I want her to sleep as long as she can._ '

With that I hopped out her window. Stalking through the shadows to avoid Stefan, I glance slightly at the moon. A smile making its way to my lips.

' _Elena_ …'

A few hours later, I find myself back in Elena's room. This time with every intention of waking her up.

I tap her gently, softly calling her name as I did so.

After about the fourth time, her body slowly starts to respond.

Her eyes flutter open and she rubs away the sleep from her eyes.

"Mia? What time is it?" she yawns.

"It's almost dawn. I have a surprise for you. But you'll have to be very quiet…and we have to sneak pass Stefan. He's outside walking back and forth around your house like a patrol guard." I chuckle, earning a grin from Elena.

"Okay, I'll get ready quickly." I sit down on her bed as she scurries around her room, grabbing clothes, and her hairbrush before running into her bathroom.

I laugh when she runs back out to grab something. It quickly turned into a blush when I saw it was her bra…

I look at my phone and I see 2 messages from Damon.

 _Damon: I saw you sneak into Elena's room. Are you two…?_

 _Damon: Oh, come on! I won't tell Stefan! I owe him that much since he didn't tell me about you and Katherine. Lol._

I'm not sure whether I should laugh at his childishness or be annoyed that he's still holding on to that. I decided to just brush it off.

 _Me: Of course, we aren't in a sexual relationship, Damon. We're still getting to know each other and besides we're friends._

 _Me: And you know Elena's not like Katherine. Whomever she chooses will be her choice. I've made sure she realizes that._

As soon as I hit send, Elena comes out of the bathroom all dressed and ready to go.

"Shall we leave now?" She asks smiling.

"Follow Me, Miss Gilbert." I say, reaching my arm out.

She giggles as she lets her arm slide between mine.

We effectively avoided Stefan and any other obstacle that would try to stop me from taking her.

Through out the whole car ride, I've been sneaking glances at her. I've always believed that the best way to see someone is to not look at them…because when you look, they'll be on their best behavior. I notice how she bites her lip nervously around me. Or the way she twirls her fingers together when she talks to me.

"You know Elena. I think I'm going to have to go back to my home one day and drive one of my other sports cars up here. I would love to take you for a spin…" I smirk to myself at the double meaning.

"That reminds me, Matt and I had a make out session in one about a year ago. I couldn't wait to tell Caroline and Bonnie I made out with my boyfriend in the front seat of a sports car. One thing crossed off my bucket list." She smiles fondly at the memory. I chuckle. Elena isn't so innocent after all…

"Have you ever had sex in one?" I ask her bluntly.

"N…no." She shifts in her seat.

"Oh yeah? Would you like to?" Smooth Mia, real smooth…

I hadn't even realized that somewhere during our conversation we pulled up at our destination and I parked the car.

"Yes…" she says.

I don't even respond. I just simply grabbed her and pulled her on top of me. I don't waste time lifting my lips to hers. I tug at her bottom lip with my teeth, earning a moan from Elena. I shudder at the sound. A moan escapes my own lips this time as I begin to kiss her neck.

"Mia…" she sighs my name in the most beautiful way. I hum in response as I toss her jacket to the back.

She aggressively presses her lips to mine and we battle for dominance. My hips automatically begin to move sensually against hers, earning a loud moan from her. I groan and attach my lips to the crook of her neck.

I reach my hand under her skirt to apply more pressure to her private area.

God I love this skirt on her…

I might not be able to fully take her until she chooses between me and Stefan, but god am I enjoying the sneak peek.

My fingers are slick and hot from touching her over her panties. I realize we're running close on time. So I move my hand inside her underwear. I let out a groan with how wet she is. Her moans increased as her body tenses, letting me know she's close to her orgasm.

"Yes, Mia…" she pants over and over.

"Mia!" Suddenly I'm snapped back into reality. My eyes refocus as I look at Elena sitting in the passengers seat with a worried expression. She isn't even wearing a skirt…nor is she straddling me.

Damn my imagination!

"We're here, come on!" I laugh as I quickly hop out of the car.

I hear Elena laughing behind me as we run up to the carnival.

She stops, "Mia? How come everything is still lit?"

"I compelled the guards to let me and my favorite Gilbert go for a spin on the Ferris wheel. As an apology, from yours truly." I say bowing to her.

She laughs softly, "And your favorite Gilbert accepts your apology." She chuckles.

I grab her arm and pull her to the Ferris wheel, waving at one of he guards to come over.

Once Elena and I are seated, the guard starts the ride.

The Ferris wheel stops at the very top and I take this time to gaze at the stars.

"It's beautiful up here…" Elena whispers staring at the stars in awe.

"I know I nearly killed Bonnie, and nothing I can do will make up for that, but please know…I did it mainly for you. You were caught between the fire and I snapped. I was already pissed because she was about to hurt Damon, but I couldn't handle you too…" my voice breaks at the end. I advert my eyes away from her and turn them back to the sky.

"Mia, stop apologizing. I understand you. I know why you did it, you're a vampire, so your emotions are more extreme. Bonnie knew she was wrong, and I bet she won't cross you or your brothers again. Everyone is here. We're all okay."

"But Caroline is a vampire because of me. I should've never fed her my blood! Katherine is still the same…always playing games! But why can't she see? I don't want to play her games anymore. It's not 1864. Her games aren't fun anymore." I sigh.

My eyes close to blink away tears. Coming back to Mystic Falls has been a disaster. All I wanted to to was be here when Damon opened the tomb, and kill Katherine. I didn't expect to fall for Elena. Nor did I expect for her to fall for me too. But my brothers and I have ruined her. I have no way to repay her for that…

"You saved Caroline, Mia. You, did. No one else. You. I don't know about Bonnie, but a vampire Caroline is a hell of a lot better than a dead Caroline buried in a cemetery. Katherine should find someone else to play her stupid games with."

I smile at how possessive Elena's voice got towards the end.

"Oh, Elena…what did I do to deserve you?"

She chuckles at me, "Save me from Damon, and become my friend afterwards."

"And then you became so much more…" I say as I snuggle my face into her neck as she giggles loudly.

I pull away after a moment to stare at her.

"Kiss me." Her voice is soft, and I probably would've thought I imagined it, if not for my eyes staring intensely at her plump lips.

I don't hesitate. I push my lips against hers in one swift motion. Our lips move against the other in a passionate dance. Like doing the tango. We work together in a sweet dance, each person moving as one. My hands come up to rest behind her head. I'm so lost in how how her soft lips mold into mine that I barely remember that Elena needs air. I pull away and rest our foreheads together. Elena's eyes slowly open to meet mine.

"Elena, I—" she cuts me off by pressing her lips to mine again.

This kiss is shorter than the first, but still amazing.

She rests her head on my shoulder as we stare into the night sky…

"You want to know what I see when I look at the stars?" I ask her softly.

She nods her head. My chest tightens for a moment as I realize the familiarity of what I'm about to say, but I quickly push those thoughts away.

This is _our_ time now…

"I see _us_. All those stars…they _connect_ us. Every last one. The stars connect us, Elena…always and forever."

* * *

3rd person POV:

To say Katherine was having a shitty night was an understatement. Mason still hadn't gotten the moonstone, and now she's having regrets about ever killing that blonde girl in the first place; another reason for Mia to hate her…

Not to mention she saw Mia and her boring doppelgänger sneaking out of the house hand in hand.

She lets out a heavy sigh and flops down on the cool grass and stars at the sky. Her eyes growing sad, and distant as she remembers…

" _You see? That's the Little Dipper! It's right…there." Mia laughs as she points to the sky. Katherine loved doing this with her. This was truly t_ he _ir thing. Of course they played the piano together, but it wasn't like this. Nothing compared to lying in the grass—sometimes rolling, and then looking at the beautiful stars above. Katherine has lived for centuries. She's looked at the stars before, but she's convinced that they shine brighter when she's with Mia. It's like all the stars shine for her—for them._

" _Yes, I do see it," She chuckles. "But I also see something else…" Mia looks at her curiously, lifting herself up on her elbows to look at her._

" _What is it?"_

" _I think that the billions and billions of stars up there all connect me to something…and for years I couldn't figure out what. That is until I met you." She pauses. Mia's blue eyes are wide with surprise. "Now I get it. They shine brighter when We're together. It's like they're trying to connect us. I believe that all the stars connect us, Mia." Katherine finishes with a soft smile, her brown eyes twinkling._

 _It was moments like these that Mia felt showed the real Katherine. Not the seductive, manipulative Katherine. The sweet, kind Katherine. The one who ran away from love, and who will continue to run. But if she can't stop Katherine from running, maybe she can prove to her that she'll run with her. Because she loves her. Mia will always run after her…_

" _Well in that case…I want you to count all the of stars—every star in existence, and when you're done…that's when I'll stop loving you…" Mia said softly. Her words held a deeper meaning…_

 _I'll never stop loving you…_

(X)

Katherine lets out a shaky breath. Her brown eyes filled with such despair, they're unrecognizable. She lets a tear trickle its way out of the corner of her eye and down the side of her face. It was one of those rare moments when she let her guard down and mourned the only person she ever truly connected with. A part of her feels silly crying, knowing that tomorrow she'll push all of her feelings back to reach her goal...it's always been like this...

Katherine's eyes move quickly across the sky as she searches for the Little Dipper…

 _"You lied, Mia…I haven't even finished counting them yet_ …" Katherine whispers sadly to no one.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ _:_ _ **The next chapter should be up way sooner than this one was. Also, it will be dealing with Werewolves and the mystery behind the moonstone. Since I have no intention on replicating the show, but rather to tell it, with my own character and my own plot twists. I believe the next chapter should end around the masquerade episode, or one episode after. The sooner we can get to the ritual with Klaus, the better. That's where the fun begins *insert evil laugh* My intention was to get to memory lane in this chapter. But that would've made the chapter even longer. I just can't wait for Katherine's flashback at the end. Imagine her running back to kiss a dying Mia softly and saying, "I love you, Mia-blue...We will be together again...I promise." Or something like that. *goes into a corner and dies***_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I love your feedback! Please keep it coming! First things first, I'm going to tell you, Mia and Elena shippers (If there are any lol) You're in for a small treat. Mia and Katherine shippers, I haven't forgotten about you all (there's something here for you too. Although I must warn you, you'll be pissed at Mia, but just hang in there until the end of the story. Also, I've dropped so many hints that foreshadow what's to come in this chapter…let's see if you can figure it out…hehe. I made this chapter a tad bit shorter because I wasn't sure if you guys wanted the really long chapter I had planned. I wanted to get all the way up to the end of the Masquerade where they lock Katherine in the tomb but I don't know if you guys prefer the long chapters or not…**_

 _ **I also want to point out that there are loads of flashbacks and scene breaks. I typically try to use (X) before the line break to show that it's in the same POV just at later time. I tried specify every POV change and flashback so pay attention to that so you won't get confused.**_

 **Shout out to the reviewer who loves the 100. (Lexa definitely deserved better) I'm still excited for season 4 though, I might add.**

* * *

 _The Stars Connect Us_

 _Chapter 4: Memory Lane_

* * *

 _Mia POV:_

* * *

I sigh as I suck another blood bag dry. My tongue wipes off any remaining blood from my lips. I lean over the cooler as my breaths come out in low growls. Veins have already formed around my eyes and my fangs are protruding. I suck in a long breath before closing my eyes.

" _My name is Mia Salvatore…I have to stay strong for Elena. Katherine is back. She killed Caroline. I'm in love with Elena…I have to stay strong for her…"_

I repeat this a few times before my face returns to normal. I came up with this strategy with Lexi. We figured if I reminded myself what's important, then my anger would subside. Meaning less flipped humanity switches.

The reason I'm down here in the first place is because of _Stefan_. I hate seeing him with Elena. It bugs me. Of course, I will never say anything. I'm sure it will get easier to handle, but after our kisses, it's hard to look at them together.

I can tell Elena knows. She often sends me apologetic looks and once when Stefan walked away earlier she grabbed my hand and began rubbing circles on the back of my hand with her thumb. I know she was trying to comfort me, and I really appreciate it, but in all honesty, I wanted to snap Stefan's neck.

Yeah, we get it little bro, you're in a relationship with Elena. Congratulations.

I slam the lid on the color shut. Who am I kidding? I can't deal with this.

Alaric is supposed to be coming over in about 2 hours to tell us what he knows about Isobel's research. I don't see the point of this. If only they knew I could just call Isobel right now and get all the information they need.

I send a quick text to Elena.

' _I'm coming over in a few.'_ It was short and simple, but that's all that needed to be said.

Now that I've fed, I decide to grab a jacket and head over to Elena's.

Pulling up, I let out a sigh when I see that she's sitting on her porch reading a book.

I close the door with a frustrated growl and march my way over to her.

She looks up at the last second before I throw the book out of her hands and yank her up to kiss me.

Our lips move together in desperate need as I practically shove my tongue down her throat. Hearing her moan erupted a deep growl from the back of my throat. I break the kiss to trail kisses along her jawline and then to her neck.

Elena moans softly and begins to softly run her hands through my hair, gently scratching my scalp.

A soft purring noise comes from my mouth from her ministrations, so I bite her shoulder with blunt teeth to hide the sound.

"It's okay, Mia. Shh, you're okay. We're together now." Elena coos. I let out a whimper.

"It hurts so much…I need you. Not him… _you're_ _mine_." I growl the last part, earning a shiver from Elena.

"Oh Mia," she starts as she pulls away to look me in the eyes. "Is that what has you so riled up?" I blush and look away.

"Yeah," I say nervously.

"I love you." The words are like magic to my ears I stare at her in shock.

"Are you serious? You're not messing with me, are you?" I ask skeptically.

"Never." She breathed before pressing her lips to mine. I feel like I'm in heaven.

"But…but Stefan…" I begin, breaking the kiss.

"Shh. No Stefan. It's just us, right now. This is me telling you I love you."

"Elena, if this is some sort of sick joke I swear to god-!" My words are caught in my throat as she places both hands to cup my cheeks.

"I would never do that to you. Or to anyone. I love you." She repeats, emphasizing each word. My heart swells and I lean in to capture her lips.

"You have no idea how much I love you…" I mumble against her lips.

 _God, she feels so good…_

I let out a low moan, when Elena pulls my bottom lip between her teeth with a light tug.

"Elena…if you don't stop, I won't be able to..." I groan as she slowly kisses her way to my neck.

"I don't want you to." She says breathlessly as she brings her lips back to mine, kissing them desperately.

" _Fuck_ …" I mumble as my hands roam her body, groping her through her clothes.

"Why don't we take this inside? I doubt the neighbors will take us having a make out session on the front porch, lightly."

"Aren't Jenna and Jeremy home?"

"They are, but I doubt either of them will bother us. Come on…" she says softly. Her lips curled upward into a sneaky smirk.

Elena takes my hand in hers and pushes the front door open quietly, looking around the living room to make sure no one was in there. She puts her finger to her mouth and waves for me to follow her up the steps.

She almost tripped on her own two feet, but I caught her in my arms. I look down at Elena, my arms wrapped tightly around her waist to keep her from tumbling down the steps. I smile as I realize how familiar this position is.

 _When I saved her from Damon…the night we first met._

I mimic her by shushing her like she had done me mere seconds ago, I put her down softly and she grabs my head again leading me to her bedroom.

"Elena? Is that you?" Jenna asks from the room to the left.

" _Shit_ ," She whispers and pushes me into her room just before Jenna comes out of hers.

"How was your walk?" I hear her ask.

"Refreshing, but I have to catch up on some school work for Monday."

"No, that's great. I wish I could get your brother to have the same attitude." Jenna sighs.

"Me too. Just give him time. I'll try talking to him later."

"Thank you. I wish I had this whole parenting thing mastered, your mom made it look so easy."

I hear feet shuffling and then Elena walks into the room, closing the door behind her.

I barely have time to blink before Elena jumps on me, wrapping her legs around my waist. Her lips attack mine and we stumble onto the bed. Somewhere in the middle of us falling onto the bed, Elena straddled me and began to kiss my neck, occasionally biting and sucking on my skin.

A soft moan escapes me, but I am careful not to be too loud. Suddenly Elena pulls back, her eyes never leaving mine as she slowly lifts her shirt over her head, leaving her in only her bra and pants now.

My mouth waters at the sight of her as my eyes trail over her body hungrily. Both of my hands move on their own and slowly move across her newly exposed skin. Her soft moans earn a growl from me and I flip her under me, holding her arms above her head.

The way my hands glided along Elena's body felt like something close to _worship_ , savoring every inch of her. Elena's lips spoke of a desire hidden so well until this moment, that it seemingly overtook every part of her now that it was given the chance to surface. I had become a being of pure _craving_ above her, and Elena was more than happy to indulge.

I had suddenly given my hips a purpose as I began a lustful grind against Elena, suddenly overpowered by a wanton need of my own. I very nearly _whined_ into Elena's mouth as her hands continued their appreciative roving. I'm rolling my hips down in perfect synchronization to meet Elena's.

I move my lips close to her ear before whispering, "I know all about your body, Elena…I know just how to send you over the edge, or to keep you there if I want…" I stop to trail kisses along her collarbone, and then I place a kiss on her cleavage. Elena squirms underneath me and I smirk.

"But only if you let me," I pause so I can look her in the eyes. "Let me make you feel _alive_ …"

" _Please…"_ That's all I needed to hear. I can tell she wants this just as much as I do.

* * *

 _ **3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **person POV**_

Elena and Mia were too into the other to realize they were being watched through the window. Angry brown eyes followed their every move, as more clothes were being removed and Mia's hand traveled lower and lower until…

She couldn't watch anymore.

Katherine jumped off the tree with a huff. Nothing was going the way she thought it would, apparently.

" _Oh god, Mia…"_ Elena's muffled moanmakesKatherine freeze. Her brown eyes flashed and veins started to form. It was torture to keep walking. Putting one foot ahead of the other was probably the hardest thing she had ever done. Even harder than living after she found her whole family slaughtered.

Over the years, she'd often thought about her reunion with Mia. And it wasn't like this. She didn't expect to come back and find her in love with another woman, let alone her Doppelgänger.

Katherine let's out a loud sigh as she pulls out her iPhone. Scrolling through the contacts she taps the phone icon. The phone rings and her foot is tapping impatiently waiting for the person to pick up.

" _Hello?"_

"Well finally! Ana, we've got a problem…" Katherine said quickly, earning a loud sigh from the person on the other end.

" _The child is fine, if that's what you're worried—"_

"What? No, I know that. It's about…about Mia."

" _Should've guessed as much. Alright shoot. And please hurry, Mila wants to go look at the stars soon. That child gets it from spending so much time with you, thank goodness you're gone."_ Ana chuckles from the other end.

"You blame _everything_ she does on me, Ana." Katherine laughs. "But where to begin? Things aren't going as planned here. Mia is probably the most frustrating..."

" _Naturally_." Ana replies teasing.

" _Mlŭkni_ , Ana," Katherine says quickly, "It's harder than I thought. Seeing her with my Doppelgänger."

" _Obviously, Katerina. But now I need you to be honest with me_ ," Ana says. " _I figured the real reason why you wanted to turn in your Doppelgänger to Klaus was for your freedom. But when I thought about it…you've ran for 500 years. Elena had been born for the last 17 of those years, you knew about her before. So why now? She's resembled you exactly for about 5 years now. You didn't need to wait until now to prepare everything for Klaus. Which leads me to believe it's because of Mia. You sent Isobel to keep an eye on Mia for sure. Everything was fine until Isobel told you about their chemistry. Then you decided you had to drop everything here to go there, right?"_

A loud sigh escapes Katherine's mouth. Her grip tightens around her phone as she goes rigid.

"Ana…" She begins dangerously, "You know nothing."

" _On the contrary, you'd be surprised at how easy it is for me to read you. I'm on your side, and I always have been. You don't have to pretend with me and Mila. For once, stop trying to be the badass vampire. Obviously, Mia's not interested in that."_

"I don't care. I came here with an agenda. And being a badass vampire is the _only_ way to get what I need."

" _No. It's a way to get you killed, Katerina. Avoid the Salvatore's, find the moonstone, your werewolf, vampire, and finally hand over the Doppelgänger to bargain with Klaus."_ Ana says harshly. Katherine flinches at the sound of Ana using her birth name.

Katherine bites her lip as she kicks some small rocks at her feet. She has something in her eye.

The dust probably. That explains why they're watering now.

 _Of course, that's it? What else would it be?_

"She'd hate me forever, Ana." She accidentally sniffs. "I'm sorry, my eyes are watering from all this wind…" Katherine tried to cover up, quickly earning a scoff from Ana.

" _Whatever. I seriously doubt she'd hate you forever. Your bond is much stronger than that."_

"She's told me herself, that she's in love with Elena. Even Isobel could—"

" _Then make her remember! She's still in love with you, she's just angry. I'm not doubting her love for Elena, but she's still in love with you too. The kind of love you two share doesn't just disappear. I'd never thought I'd say this, but now is the time to be Katherine Pierce, not Katerina Petrova. You deserve your freedom. Love is nothing if you can't be free."_

Katherine pauses for a second, her eyes distant, sad.

"But what is freedom without love?" She says softly.

Jesus, what is Mia doing to her?

 _What she's always done…_

" _You're making this little problem into a big one. She'll get over Elena."_ Ana replies with a sigh.

"And if that fairytale assumption of yours doesn't happen? How do you know Mia will forgive me?" Katherine questions.

" _If not, then you tell her. You tell her everything, and I do mean everything. No more secrets._ " Ana says with a hint of annoyance.

"No. That's absolutely out of the question, Ana—!"

 _"Is it? It shouldn't be. This—whatever this is—is a lot bigger than all of us right now! This is a dangerous game you're playing, Katerina. Do you really expect to win if your key player is left in the dark?_ " Ana whispers loudly. As if to make sure no one else would overhear her in the house.

"It won't get that far, Ana! Not if…" Katherine trails off. For once she's at lost for words.

" _If what? None of us have a choice here! Your fate was sealed the second you stepped foot in Mystic falls back in 1864_."

"No, Ana! My fate was sealed the _second_ I was born. Mia—the Salvatore's had nothing to do with this. My choices are nothing but my own. You know neither of us know what's going to happen with Klaus. Your little witchy friend only knew that it would wipe the board clean-it'll be a game changer. Now unless she can give us more details, you are going to continue to be as you were, living with your family and keeping little Mila safe. And I am going to continue my quest for freedom." With that she tapped the end button. Katherine had nothing more to say.

This was a big mess, but she knew Ana had been right.

 _Eventually, she will have to come clean to Mia, but hopefully she still has more time...hopefully._

* * *

 _ **Mia POV:**_

"Ric, we need to know what we are dealing with. If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good." I hear Damon say as me and Elena walk through the door.

I stop in the doorway, dreading when Elena will go to Stefan's side. And we'll have to pretend nothing has happened between us, when in fact, everything had.

As if she can sense my unease, Elena grabs my hand with a gentle squeeze.

Taking a deep breath, I walk behind Elena to the living room where Ric, Damon, and Stefan were all talking.

"You two are late." Damon says smirking. Stefan looks up between the both of us before standing to hug Elena.

"Yeah, she got hungry. We stopped for lunch," I say, before taking my seat. "What did we miss?"

"Alaric said Isobel's research is still at Duke because technically she's still missing. Alaric said she did a lot of research on Mystic Falls—tons." Stefan replies.

"That's right. She not only researched vampires, but werewolves too." Ric chimes in. I nod, I remember all of Isobel's research. We met while I was attending Duke. I went to medical school there.

"It would explain why Tyler and the Mayor were affected by the device. They have to be something supernatural." Elena says softly.

"Ric, we need to know what we are dealing with. If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good." Damon says sipping his bourbon.

"Duke it is, I guess." I mumble.

"Are you coming too?" Elena asks. I'm sitting on my bed, reading. Elena hovers by the doorway as if she's afraid to come in.

"Stefan wants me to. To keep Damon in check while he stays beyond to help Caroline." I reply. My eyes never leaving my book.

A few minutes' pass and I peak over the book and see Elena still in my doorway, lingering at the doorframe as if she need permission to come in my room.

"You know Elena, you can come in. Sit and chill with me for a little bit." I smirk, patting the empty space on my bed.

Suddenly, she comes over and flops down next to me. Elena snuggles closer to me and I smile.

A part of me was worried that she would regret what happened earlier.

"I'm sorry I'm acting weird right now. It's just…after earlier, I'm not sure if I'll be able to control myself around you. Especially when there's a bed involved. If we were alone that's fine, but in a house with two other vampires, I'm not so sure it's a good idea." Elena sighs.

I smirk.

"So now I must ask, who's better in bed me or Stefan?" I ask with a smug smile playing on my lips.

"Oh my god, Mia!" She laughs and tosses a pillow at my face. My smile spreads at the sound of her laugh. Making her blush from seeing my smile.

"I'm serious! What's the verdict, _Princess_?" The word rolled off my tongue before I could stop it. I like it. She is a princess, _my_ princess…

"Honestly?" She asks looking up at me. "You. I mean Stefan's good, but you're ten times better. And hotter…" she whispers seductively. God, I love this Elena.

"Wanna go again?" I say, licking my lips.

"I'd love too, but not in here. God knows you can't keep quiet." She says teasingly.

"Me? Elena, need I remind you who almost got us caught? I had to keep covering your mouth just so you wouldn't give us away." I laugh.

"I wasn't the only one!" She says hitting my arm, "You moan loudly too..."

"Well yeah, you're so hot..." I mumble just before I attack her neck and push her underneath me.

My lips ghost over her neck, softly trailing kisses along the side of her neck.

That's when it happened.

My veins begin to form and my teeth begin to sharpen. I can feel her heart beat faster and all I want to do is suck her dry…

A soft moan from her is all I need to snap back into reality. I jump back, using my inhumane speed to move to the other side of the room. I stare at her in horror before running away—to the basement.

I rush over to the cooler and snatch a blood bag.

 _Fuck…there's only three…that's not enough!_

Before I know it, I've already sucked all three of them dry in under a minute. My anger boils and I let out a loud growl. The only reason how I know I kicked something is the slight sting I feel on my toe.

" _You know, up until now, I thought Stefan was the one drinking all the damn blood bags."_ Damon's voice fills my ears. Turning my attention to the stairs, I see Damon and behind him Elena. Her eyes filled with concern as she looks at the state I'm in.

"Damon, I'm okay…I've just been very hungry lately. I swear I haven't hurt anyone—please don't call Lexi." I manage to say between ragged breaths. I imagine how this must look…

 _Like I've lost it…he'll call Lexi. I'm screwed_.

"Hey, I believe you. And I'm not going to call Lexi. That's Stefan's thing," He says. "You think you're going through an episode? You've been more irritable lately…"

I nod my head, "I think so…It'll go away in a few days, like always."

"Do you think you can handle being in the car all the way to Duke?" He asks me.

"Yeah, I'll be able to handle it..."

My eyes find their way to Elena and I look down nervously.

"I'm going to go, leave you two _lovebirds_ to it…" Damon mumbles before walking up the stairs.

"I'm sorry…I was hungry and I didn't want to risk hurting you." I say quickly. I'm not even sure if she understood me.

"I know, Mia. I talked to Damon. He told me that in a way you're like Stefan. You can't drink blood directly from a human, but you can drink from a blood bag. So, I want to try to help. You drink a little from me every day so—"

"No." I say angrily. "How can you offer yourself up like that, Elena. Don't you know how precious you are to me? If I hurt you, or worse killed you I would probably walk into a building and light a fire and burn myself. You may not understand it, hell I don't either but I need you to live. You're so pure…so... _human_."

She stares at me, her doe eyes staring into mine with nothing but love.

"I'm not backing down from this one. Even if it's just a very little bit. We can start with something small like a cut or I'll prick my finger. Whatever it is, I want to help. I will always be here for you, Mia. Always."

(X)

* * *

 _Duke University_

* * *

"So, Isobel was officially employed by the anthropology department given that most paranormal phenomenon is rooted in folklore." Alaric informs us as we walk through the building. What he doesn't know is that I've been here many times before…

I really hope, I don't see anyone that knows me here…hopefully they all graduated or whatever.

"Excuse me, hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman, I called earlier." Alaric's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant, comparative folklore." _Oh fuck._

She hasn't noticed me yet, but I've been lingering in the back, studying her. Vanessa keeps looking at Elena strangely. I can't put my finger on it…

"Uh, let me just grab Isobel's keys…" Yeah, there's something…off. Thank god, she hasn't recognized me yet.

"These are my friends Elena, Mia, and Damon. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition." Alaric says to her and I visibly freeze. Why couldn't he just leave it at, 'These are my friends'?

"Oh please, Isobel's office is right through there. Isobel was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student. She was brilliant, and one of the reasons I went into folklore. Uh, I have to ask - has there been any news?" Vanessa asks.

"No, I'm afraid not." Alaric replies as we enter the room. I try not to draw any attention to myself. I really don't want her to recognize me.

I met Vanessa during my time attending Duke. I would come to spend time with Isobel, and I helped her with some of her research on Mystic Falls. I was a fool in thinking Isobel wouldn't connect the dots about me being a vampire. That I was in fact, Mia Salvatore, one of the three Salvatore siblings from Mystic Falls she'd researched. At the time, I was under an alias: _Maya Salvadori_. I didn't think Isobel would research Mystic Falls during 1864 as deep as she had.

She confronted me about it around a month into our _fling._ Isobel came at me saying she knew my secret. How I was really Mia Salvatore, and that I was turned a vampire by a woman named Katherine Pierce, whom she found was killed in a fire—the supposed Battle of Willow Creek, was nothing more than a ruse and they were vampires instead of unarmed civilians that were rounded up.

When I asked her how she figured out I was Mia Salvatore. She told me it was obvious. The Mia Salvatore described in her research fit Maya Salvadori perfectly—fit me, perfectly.

I guess I should have changed my name to something with different first letters. I think I read somewhere that people always pick aliases that are subconsciously derivative of their original name. It's a way of not completely letting go of your identity, since your name is so tied to your sense of self.

I'm absentmindedly following behind everyone, taking everything in—nothing's changed. As if Isobel was here yesterday…

"I'll grab the light, feel free to look around. It's fascinating, isn't it?" Vanessa sighs in an admiring tone.

She leaves us and we all begin looking through the room.

"Where'd she go?" Damon asks suddenly. _Good question…_

Suddenly, Vanessa comes back with a crossbow and tries to shoot an arrow at Elena but I'm quicker. I stand in front of her, protecting her from the arrow. I wince when the arrow pierces my skin through the hoodie. Damon moves swiftly to restrain Vanessa against the wall. _Thank god there are two vampires here…_

"Saved ya, _Princess_ …" I chuckle behind Elena, followed by a groan.

 _Shit…it hurts._

"Mia…thank you…" she says softly. I try to smile, but it ends up being a grimace.

Alaric moves to take Damon's spot and pulls Vanessa out of the room. Damon comes over to check the damage.

"Just pull the arrow out, Damon! It hurts…" I snap.

"Ow, fuck…" I groan as he snatches the arrow out. I stand up straight and shake myself off… _that was nothing…_

"That bitch is dead." Damon growls, and I agree with him…

"You're not gonna kill her." Elena's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I was thinking of ways to kill her, too, but oh well.

"Watch me."

"Let it go, Damon." I sigh dismissively.

"You know, I really miss the old Mia. She would've killed her the second she came in her with the crossbow. But no. You'd rather take a wooden arrow in the back to save ' _Princess Elena_ ,' than kill a bitch who deserves it!" He grows, "I have no idea what power Elena has over you, but maybe you getting back with _Katherine_ wouldn't be such a bad idea. At least she isn't a total party pooper." He spat.

I roll my eyes, "Seriously, Damon? How is it that you always find a way to be a childish brat? Let it go. You aren't killing her."

"Like I'll listen to you—!" Damon begins but is cut off by Elena.

"You touch her and I swear I will never speak to you again." Elena snaps at him.

"What makes you think that has any power over me? Because last I checked, I wasn't Mia or Stefan. You're severely overestimating yourself."

"Right. I forgot that I was speaking to a psychotic mind who snaps and kills people impulsively. Fine, go ahead, do whatever you want." Elena mumbles.

"You're trying to manipulate me."

"If by "manipulate" you mean "tell the truth" okay, guilty. Come on." Elena says as she mentions us to follow her.

"Please! I freaked out okay? Alright, you would have done the same thing, it's not possible! Katherine Pierce can't be alive and the Salvatore siblings died in 1864. Okay? I read Isobel's research." Vanessa says as we enter the room. Her eyes are wide as she frantically tries to grasp the situation.

"Well, then you should know just how possible this is." Alaric says matter-of-factly.

"I'm Elena Gilbert, Isobel's daughter and a descendant of Katherine Pierce. And this is Damon and Mia Salvatore—who you just shot."

"I'd be extra nice to us right now." Damon threatens. But she appears not to be paying attention to him because her eyes are fixed on me.

"I remember you! You were—"

"Yeah, I used to go here. I was in medical school…" I say nervously, sticking my hands in my pockets and rocking back on the heel of my shoes.

"You…You were... _are_ a vampire? You're Mia Salvatore? How could I have missed that then?"

I shook my head.

"No, you wouldn't have known unless you knew what you were looking for. I told people my name was, Maya Salvadori."

"I do remember you. You were like a star. You knew your shit."

"You could say that…" I chuckle.

"No, I'm serious, guys. She's crazy smart. A lot more than she lets on. I remember Isobel and some other professor talking about you being the top student in the medical school. Graduated on top, right?"

"Yes…" I say quietly. I really don't like talking about myself this way. It makes me seem like an overachiever. It can also be taken like I'm bragging, and I hate that. I never liked people who bragged.

"Year 2006, right? I swear she has a picture of you at your graduation somewhere…you're pretty much famous around here."

"Thanks. It's nothing special, honestly. Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing you a lot. I'm surprised you remember me…"

"Kind of hard not to. Not every day that you go to school with a genius."

"Now you're giving me too much credit. I'm far from it. I just worked hard, and studied a lot…" I chuckle.

"Well it paid off. But I doubt you all are here to hear about Mia's accomplishments, though." Vanessa says looking around between the four of us.

"We need your help okay? We need to see all of Isobel's research, anything related to Mystic Falls."

Damon walks back into the room to check for more information.

"This box checks Katherine's arrival to Mystic Falls in April 1864." Vanessa mentions to the box next to her.

"Is that all there is about her?" Elena asks looking through the box. Her eyebrows are creased in frustration.

"All that I'm aware of…" I hear Vanessa say as I turn my attention to the bookshelves.

"Here, take this." I hear Elena whisper. I laugh softly when I see it's vervain.

"Does vervain really work?" She asks Elena.

" _Nope, not at all."_ Damon answers from the other room.

"Can he hear us?" Vanessa asks again whispering. How this lady claims she read Isobel's research on Vampires but doesn't know about our supernatural hearing is beyond me…

" _No, that would be creepy."_ Damon answers again. I bite back a laugh as my eyes trail over the titles of all the different books.

"Can he read minds too?" She whispers to Elena.

" _You know, if you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask."_ I let out a loud snicker. I immediately try to cover it up with a cough. Elena and Vanessa turn their heads to look at me after my little outburst.

"I'm sorry…I'm just gonna look over…yeah…" I walk to the other side of the room with my back turned. I laugh silently hoping they aren't watching me.

"No, that he can't do. He is very capable of being a first-rate jackass." Elena answers. I have to physically bite my lip to stop from laughing.

A few minutes' pass and I hear Damon come in and ask if they'd had any luck.

"There's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know." Elena sighs.

"Ah, man, you know, it's a bummer we're not friends anymore because I could tell you what I know…" Damon smirks at her reaction.

I raise an eyebrow at his words.

"Now who's manipulating who?" The annoyance in Elena's voice is evident.

I have things I could share too…Katherine told me a lot back then. Some about her family, I know she had a daughter that she was forced to give up due to her having her out of wedlock. I do remember her telling me her real name. _Katerina Petrova._ She didn't go into detail about what happened to her after she was banished from Bulgaria. She only told me that it was, _'A horrific life changing event that scared her_.' I can only guess it was her transition into a vampire.

I know I'm not being honest by withholding information, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to say anything. How could I? We had a heart to heart. _Katherine trusted me with that and I promised I'd keep her secrets until my death_.

"Hey guys, check this out." Alaric's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls, but here are some records of some of the lesser-known legends. Everything from Scandinavian skin-walkers to the Maréchal de Retz." Vanessa says as she hands us a book with drawings.

"Tonartsliitsii Metslii, which roughly translates into the—"

"Curse of the sun and the moon." We both say in unison. Everyone looks at me in shock.

"It's Native American." Alaric says.

" _Aztec_ , I believe." I mumble completely fascinated with the drawings.

" _Correct_. It is Aztec. It explains one origin of the werewolf curse traced through Virginia. The short story: 600 years ago, the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. Thus, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon crests in the sky, who's ever unlucky enough to fall under the werewolf curse turns into a wolf."

"Can they control the transformation?" Damon questions.

"If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse." Vanessa answers.

I smirk at Damon, " _Duh_!" I mouth teasingly. He mocks me and sticks out his tongue.

"Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: _vampires_." Vanessa continues.

"Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, _we_ would know about it." Damon says looking at me for confirmation. I hum in agreement.

"Not if there aren't that many werewolves left alive. Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction." _That's interesting…_

"Why would they do that?" Elena asks the question we're all wondering.

"To protect themselves. Legend has it that a werewolf bite is _fatal_ to vampires."

That got everyone's attention…

" _Oh_ …" Is all Damon can say.

" _Shit_ …" I say after Damon.

(X)

* * *

"I don't know what that means or if we should even believe it but it's a full moon, Stefan. After what you saw Mason Lockwood do..." Elena says to Stefan over the phone.

All I hear is his muffled response. I honestly don't want to. Wouldn't want to be nosy.

"There's one more thing." Elena sighs.

 _Muffled response…_

"According to the legend, a werewolf bite can kill a vampire."

I hear Stefan say something on the other end and the Elena replies with a simple, "Okay."

"Hey, have you done any research on doppelgängers?"

"Well, the word means a lot of different things to different cultures, but typically a doppelgänger is a living, breathing double of oneself." Vanessa responds.

"Did Isobel have anything that explained the link between me and Katherine?" Elena asks. I can hear a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

"That's all she had on Katherine, unfortunately, but I can tell you that doppelgängers usually torment the people they look like, trying to undo their lives. It's not exactly uplifting."

"And more things we already know. Just...I want to know why we look alike."

"Head scratcher, isn't it?" Damon teases.

"Do you know something, or are you just being yourself?" Elena snaps. _Jesus…these two have been at each other's throats since we got here. I understand why, though._

Stefan told me about what Damon did to Jeremy. But I had to promise I wouldn't do anything to hurt Damon if he told me. And so far, I've kept my promise. Just glad, little Gilbert is okay. No thanks to Damon…

"Well, if I know anything, I'm not gonna tell you, not with that attitude."

"That's good, Damon, and this is coming from someone who wants to be my friend, but you know what? Friends don't manipulate friends, they help each other."

"I trust you're not gonna say anything about this to anyone." I say to Vanessa once we're all outside.

"Or else Damon will kill me in my sleep? He gave me the 411, but if you need anything, you can call. Oh, and Maya—Mia, sorry. I think you should have this. I found it in Isobel's office. It's a picture of you and her on your graduation."

I look confused. _Why would she have a picture of us? I don't even have one_.

Vanessa hands me the picture and I smile sadly. That was a good day. Back when Isobel and I were still on good terms. I was smiling brightly into the camera. I had gotten my Doctorate's degree that day. The doctoral gown is the most elaborate, with front-facing velvet and three velvet bars on each of the full, billowing sleeves. My arm tugged behind Isobel's waist. In which she was obviously laughing with a blush covering her cheeks.

"Thank you." Is my simple reply.

"Isobel's disappearance...is it related to her research?" Vanessa asks suddenly. Finally putting 2 and 2 together.

"Isobel became her research. She wanted to become a vampire and she got her wish."

 _Yeah, thanks to Damon._

I shake my head and decide to give them some privacy. I'm halfway to the car when I hear Elena mutter the word, " _Petrova_."

"Katherine originally came from Europe. Petrova was her real name. Katerina Petrova, to be exact." Is Damon's smug reply.

"How did you know that?"

"Back when, I saw it engraved on an old heirloom. Men snoop too, you know. Let me know what you find, I'm very curious myself. I bet you didn't even know that, did you?" Damon addresses the last part to me. I roll my eyes…arrogant bastard…

' _I did, actually, and I didn't find out from stooping. Katherine told me herself!'_

I would've liked to say that. Just to wipe that smug smirk off his face. But teasing Damon about what Katherine shared with me would be implying that I'm still hung up over her—which _isn't_ true. Damon may be, but I'm not.

"Nope." I say popping the p. I don't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Elena, when we get in the car, I want to give you something…" I tell her opening the door for her to get in.

Damon looks annoyed, but nonetheless huffs and then opens the car door.

I close the door after her before walking to the other side.

"Vanessa found this. I guess I took a picture with Isobel on my graduation day. I thought she was just some random professor…" I lie almost flawlessly. I kind of surprise myself.

"Wow…You look beautiful. Can I keep it?"

"Of course! That's why I'm showing you. I want you to have it. Proof that your mom wasn't always a cold uncaring vampire."

"Thank you, Mia. Seriously. You have no idea how much this means to me." For a second, I almost think she forgets about Damon and wants to kiss me. But she settles for a tight hug instead.

I look out the window, my eyes land instantly on the moon. _Full moon_ …

An involuntary shiver erupts through my body. My nails dig into my pants, and I let out a low growl. I clench my jaw as I stare at the moon with a feeling I couldn't place. Almost like pure resentment.

 _I've never liked the full moon._

I hate it even more now, with this whole werewolf thing…

By the time we got back I didn't want to do anything else but sleep. I'm so tired…

(X)

* * *

" _I don't think they would mind if I stole one dance with you, right?" Katherine greets me with a smile. She looks absolutely stunning tonight._

" _You seem to forget my father, Miss Katherine. The sight of two women dancing will surely send him into cardiac arrest." I reply with a small smile._

" _Perhaps we should wait until later and have our dance under the stars, then." Katherine whispers suggestively._

" _Perhaps we should then," I say as a shiver goes down my spine at the thought. "What of my brothers? Surely you've noticed how troubled Damon is that you chose Stefan to escort you…" I reply as I sip my wine._

" _Well, Damon needs to concede that his younger brother is a better dancer, and his older sister currently holds the key to my heart."_

 _Before I can respond, George Lockwood comes over, eyeing Katherine wearily. I smile sweetly just as I had been taught. A lady never shows her true emotions. Any other day, I would not care to behave under such foolish beliefs, but I know how much this means to my father and the rest of the founding families._

" _Sorry to interrupt. I was only coming to borrow my date back." George smiles brightly. Reaching to grab a hold of my arm. Katherine stops him by gripping his forearm. Their fake smiles never leaving their faces as they, in the subtlest way, fight over who gets to spend time with me._

 _Katherine definitely has some sort of strength if George can't even brush her off._

 _George laughs nervously, but his smile never falters, nor does Katherine's._

" _May I finish my drink, George? I was just listening to Katherine gush over my brothers. Unless you'd rather listen to our girl talk…" I tell him, sending my own fake innocent smile._

" _Must certainly not, Miss Salvatore. I apologize for my intrusion, m'lady. I shall wait over there. I wish to speak to your father about something." George smiles at me to which I return, but I did notice how it faltered slightly when he glanced back at Katherine._

 _I wait until he's across the room before turning to Katherine._

" _What on earth was that about?"_

 _Katherine's eyes never left George's retreating figure, "He's going to ask your father's permission for your hand in marriage." Her voice is low, menacing even._

" _How could you possibly know that? He's only taken interest in me since he's returned from war. Which had been less than a month."_

" _Mating preferences. He wants to mate with you, Miss Salvatore." The smile on her face implies that she's jesting, but her voice says otherwise._

" _Mating is a very vulgar term, Miss Katherine. Hardly any term used to describe humans, more like—"_

" _Animals. Dogs,_ wolves _...yes, I know what it means." She replies a bit absentmindedly. Her eyes have darkened considerably as she stares at George. Even a blind man could see that the look in her eyes weren't a good thing. One might go as far to say there was an evil glint to them. She's studying him. Like she's waiting to attack._

 _An animal studying his prey…_

" _Well, whatever is going on in that head of yours needn't be. I've known George since we were small children and I have never known him to show interest in me. What would make him want to ask for my hand in marriage now?"_

" _Mating. They do love their_ kind _…" She mumbles._

" _Look, just because we're both from founding families doesn't hardly mean a thing. We don't all love to marry other founding families, you know. Or as you so kindly put it, 'our kind.'"_

 _She looks at me then, almost like she's dying to say something but can't for whatever reason._

" _I should probably get back to George," I sigh as I look at my empty glass._

" _Perhaps you should, I suppose I have kept Stefan waiting long enough. Oh, it looks like he found someone to occupy his time…" Katherine tells me. I frown. Who could have possibly—_

" _Elena." There. Beaming brightly at Stefan is Elena. She looks out of place with her blue jeans and button up blouse. Too modern, completely out of this time._

 _She places a kiss on Stefan's cheek. I begin to walk over, my chest tightening at how happy she looks to be with him._

" _Mia, don't." Katherine says, but my brain tones her out. All I can do is focus on the pain I feel when I see her with Stefan. When I get close to her, the scene changes._

' _But I was so close…so close, yet so far…'_

 _I follow them through the door and I see her leaning over the pool table smiling at me._

" _Elena—"_

" _It's your turn." She smirks, holding out the cue stick._

" _Be prepared to lose." Stefan comes up beside me and takes the cue stick from her. His lips press against hers and my heart shatters._

" _It hurts, doesn't it?" Katherine comes up beside me still dressed in her 1864 attire._

" _Now you know how I feel. Don't fight it, Mia. You loved me once. You can love me again." Suddenly, we're back at the Lockwood mansion in 1864. Back where George walked away to speak with my father._

" _I love you, Mia. We'll be together again, I promise." Katherine whispers in my ear. My eyes never leaving George and my father as I stare blankly ahead. Refusing to move, even when Katherine began kissing my neck._

I jot awake, sucking in a deep breath. Elena is snuggled against my chest as we lie on my bed.

"Hey, you okay?" She asks me softly.

"Yeah. Yes, bad dream. Get back to sleep." I mumble before closing my eyes again.

 _There_.

That familiar pull…

I jump out of the bed at vampire speed. She sits up on the bed smirking at me.

" _Katherine_." I spat.

"You have to admit I am getting better at this. But as always, our connection gave me away. It was easy to get inside of your head. Have you completely forsaken your nature? Is that what Elena does to you?"

I growl and attempt to hit her, but she deflects it and pushes me down on a chair.

"Are we really gonna do this again? We both know how that will end. Probably leaving half of Mystic Falls in ruins."

I scoff, "Yeah right."

Katherine chuckles, "You're right. We both know I could rip you to shreds and do my nails at the same time." Her tone is teasing. She's trying to get me riled up.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to see you. I missed you, Mia. Indulge me for a little while, please? Stefan's here too. Double the fun. Just like old times. Lucky me!" She smirks.

"Why are you back in town?" I choose to ignore her last statement.

"3 reasons: you, you and you."

"You see, I can't quite get that down. Just kind of...gets stuck in my throat." I fake a small cough.

"Well, you know, it's the truth. Deep down inside that gorgeous body of yours there's the Mia that fell in love with me too." Katherine teases as she trails a finger down between my cleavage to my stomach, earning a slight shiver from me.

I turn and walk down to the living room. Stefan is already there writing in his journal.

"Well I'm _hungry_." Katherine says as she flops down on the couch.

Stefan looks at me questionably. I shrug my shoulders in response.

"Stefan dear, could you please get me some blood? I'm dying here." Katherine asks dramatically.

Much to my surprise he does.

"Damon's private stock." He says as he hands her the glass filled with blood.

"That's right! You don't do human, I read that. I also read about your recent werewolf sighting. That must have come as a surprise."

"Did you seriously read his journal?" I ask.

"I know. I'm sorry. It was just too tempting, all of his inner thoughts and feelings, laying there on his desk for me to read."

"Touché." I can't argue with that.

"What do you know about werewolves?" Stefan asks straight to the point.

"I know not to pet one. Their bite kills, Stefan. It's best to stay clear of them during a full moon."

"And...how do you know this?" I chime in. Katherine begins walking around the room picking up random objects and examining it like a child.

"Who do you think was responsible for ridding this town of vampires in 1864?"

"Founding families." Stefan says.

"Spearheaded by?"

"The Lockwoods." I answer. Katherine nods her head at my answer.

"You both remember the Founders' Ball, don't you? The one that you were dreaming about?" She directs her last question to me.

"I was your escort." Stefan answers.

Katherine hums in agreement, "That was before you all knew about my little secret."

* * *

 ** _3_ _rd_** _ **person POV** :_

 _Flashback:_

 _Lockwood Mansion, 1864_

* * *

" _Everyone will you please join me in raising your glasses to my good friend George Lockwood. George, thank you for so bravely defending the south." Damon smiles brightly._

" _My honor Mr. Salvatore. After all, someone had to do it." George replies and everyone laughs._

 _Katherine and Mia are next to each other sipping their drinks when the moment is interrupted by a young man named Henry._

" _Can we have a word Miss Katherine?" Henry seems flustered. Out of breath and tired. Mia frowned as she took in his appearance._

" _Grab a glass, Henry. It's a celebration." Katherine tells him. Trying to hint to him that she'd rather enjoy the evening than be bothered by anything else._

" _Please, Miss Katherine." Katherine rolls her eyes but reluctantly, she trails after him. Before Mia could decide to check on the two of them, George comes back over to her. He places a soft kiss on the back of her hand and asks her to dance with him._

" _I looked into those attacks from the other night. It wasn't vampires." Henry started._

" _That's good news, Henry. That means we have nothing to worry about." Katherine reaches for his arm to give him a reassuring squeeze._

" _I'm afraid you don't understand. Those folks were torn apart in ways I've never seen before." Henry clarifies. His voice wavers slightly, giving away a hint of fear._

" _Then...it won't be long before the founders drop an investigation."_

" _We'll leave town immediately. I'll tell the others."_

 _Katherine catches his arm, "Relax, Henry. This town is our home and the vampires are my family. I won't let anything happen to us."_

 _Her eyes trail over to Mia, a soft smile playing on the corners of her mouth. Then George places a kiss on Mia's cheek and Katherine can practically feel her blood boil as she glares at him from afar._

* * *

 _Mia POV:_

"From the moment I met George, I knew he'd be a problem." Katherine continues.

"So you're saying that all the Lockwoods are werewolves." I ask.

"The werewolf gene runs in the Lockwood family. Not that they're all wolves." She wiggles her finger making sure we pay close attention to her choice of words. _The gene runs in the Lockwood family, but they are NOT all wolves…_

So basically, it's a dormant gene until something awakens it…

"How many werewolves are out there? I mean...is it just limited to the Lockwood's?" Stefan questions.

"No, there are others. Not many. They're practically extinct. They mainly exist now in books and really bad movies." Y _eah, like twilight…_

Katherine picks up her drink and takes a long sip.

"I'm going to go call, Damon. He needs to know this." Stefan says suddenly. Katherine nods and waves him off.

"My turn to ask a question." She starts once we're alone.

She walks over to the table and picks up a small framed drawing of her from 1864. I gave it to her about a week before she was captured. She never got the change to take it, it was still in her room. On the stand beside her bed…

I curse myself when I realize she must've gone through my things in my room. I feel my chest tighten because deep down I know the answer. And so does she..

"Why did you keep this picture? Why not burn it? Tear it up? You want to know why I came back. Well I have a better question: Why did you _stay_? For Elena? No. You stayed here to fall in love with me all over again, didn't you?" I speed up to her. I stroke her cheek gently, savoring the feel of her smooth skin. How her breath hitches under my touch…

I listen to the sounds of our breathing, molding into one as we stare into each other's eyes.

"What is it about you that makes me still care?" I whisper. My blue eyes never leaving hers.

Before I know it she slowly leans in…those soft sinful lips attach to mine like a magnet.

 _Oh, how can they be the same as Elena's, but so different at the same time?_

A good different, I daresay. Our lips move together in a slow tango. As if by instinct, my tongue slid along Katherine's supple bottom lips, testing an old boundary, one that's long since been redrawn. It causes her to whimper slightly as she granted me access. We both explored this familiar territory with fervor, shifting our feet a little as we begin an erotic dance with our tongues—an old dance, something exclusive for the two of us. I move my hands to rest along her sides, never breaking the kiss.

Suddenly, Katherine yelps and tumbles backwards onto the couch behind her. I stare wide eyes, frozen to the spot. Stefan stands looking at the on the couch. A vervain filled syringe gripped tightly in his right hand. I swallow hard… _what the fuck just happened?_

"Thanks for distracting her. That was perfect…I almost thought that kiss was real," He says. "Help me move her…"

 _That's because it was real…_

No! It's just Katherine messing with me. She manipulated my dreams and that fucked up my judgement. That's the only reason why I kissed her, it was just because she messed with my head…

"I got her." I grumble. I carry Katherine in my arms, bridal style. Once we're in the basement I tie her down to a chair.

"Now, where were we? That's right; you were going to tell me why you came back to Mystic Falls, weren't you?" I growl.

"You two…You don't have to do this." Katherine pants.

"Answer the question, Katherine!" Stefan yells from my side.

"I came back for Mia." Her eyes meet mine then and I almost stumble backwards. They appear cold, and angry, with a hint of betrayal. She's never looked at me like that…

"We're gonna play by our rules now." Stefan tells her. I turn around and put on a glove on my right hand. I need it to protect myself from the vervain. How do you get a vampire to talk…?

I lower the vervain to her cheek, brushing it against her skin slightly. Satisfied with the way her skin burns under the vervain.

She screams in pain.

"Answer the question." I say through clenched teeth.

"You're going to torture me now?" Her voice sounds broken.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get you to tell me the truth." My voice is monotone. From personal experience, you can never show too much emotion with her.

"Mia maybe we shouldn't…" Stefan tries to grab my arm, but I shrug him off.

"If you can't handle it, Stefan, then leave. I'll deal with her."

He doesn't respond but I see him move from the corner of my eye. His footsteps grow softer as he goes back upstairs.

"Later that night at the Founders' Ball..."

"I don't want to hear any more stories about the past!" I yell.

"Yes, you do, Mia. That's exactly what you want to hear."

* * *

 _Flashback 1864_

 ** _3_ _rd_ _person POV:_**

" _She's all alone. Does this mean I can finally have you all to myself?" George Lockwood smiles._

" _And so are you. Where is the lovely Mia Salvatore?" Katherine responds. She takes a sip of her wine waiting for his answer._

" _Careful now, Miss Katherine. After your display of possessiveness over my date earlier, one might be inclined to think you have your eyes set on her. But that would be inappropriate, wouldn't it?" George continues to smile._

" _Your father has outdone himself." Katherine says completely ignoring his last comment._

" _Knowing father, he will want to throw a Founders' Party every year."_

" _I must admit, I'm rather surprised that you'd come looking for me." Katherine responds._

" _Because you are the rope in the Salvatore's brother's tug of war?"_

" _No, because I'm a vampire who could kill you in your sleep." Katherine says, and even though her words were threatening, her voice didn't waver from sweet._

" _I beg your pardon?" He shifts uncomfortably._

" _Relax, George. I know you know my secret."_

" _This conversation is over."_

 _George turns to walk away, but Katherine catches his arm._

" _And I know your secret too and I know that you're extra strong, only not as strong." Katherine smiles softly. To a passerby, it might have appeared to be a pleasant conversation._

 _Katherine finally releases him after she felt she's proved her point._

" _How do you know who I am?"_

" _You think that I would settle into a town without knowing my enemies?"_

" _What do you want?"_

" _Well the first thing, stop trying to court Mia. She's not interested in you. Leave her out of your silly wolf cravings."_

* * *

 ** _Mia POV:_**

"What did you want?" I ask her. I decide to grab a chair to sit directly in front of her.

This time she doesn't answer me.

"You know, we can sit here as long as you want. And when you start to desiccate, there's a tomb with your name on it." I tell her in a bored tone.

"I've been doing all the talking, it's your turn. Do you pretend to be human when you're with Elena? Is that the appeal, Mia?" Of course, she'd find a way to bring up Elena.

"Actually, I don't pretend to be anything when I'm with her. That's the whole point. I get to just be myself." I reply smirking.

"Does she know that you love me?" My smirk falls at her words.

"I don't." I mumble.

"That's where you're wrong, _Mia-blue_. Don't you remember walking home with me that night?"

 _(X)_

* * *

 _Flashback Mia POV:_

 _We decided to take a walk before returning home. It was a clear night, calm and peaceful. The stars shining brightly. It wasn't exactly a full moon, but it gave the ground a soft glow._

" _I don't think I ever got that dance…" Katherine looked at me smiling._

" _We could." I tell her._

" _Okay." She stops walking and so do I._

 _I didn't think she was serious at first._

" _But there's no music, how can we—" I stop mid-sentence as Katherine grabs my hands and begins to lead the dance._

 _I open my mouth to protest, but she shushes me._

" _There's no music!" I laugh at how silly this all seems. Here we are, really dancing without a tone._

" _There is." Katherine replies softly._

" _No there's not…"_

" _Shh, Listen. You have to feel it, then you'll be able to hear the music."_

 _So, I did and she was right. I haven't a clue how that was possible, but somehow there was music. And together we moved, following the sound of the music with our bodies. An endless midnight dance._

" _Wow…" I breathe once our bodies grow tired and we're just standing now._

" _That was the best dance I've had all night."_

" _Katherine…I know this will probably mean nothing to you, especially since my brothers are currently in a competition for your affections, but I have to say this," I begin my stomach full of butterflies as I prepare to tell her my feelings. "I've never met a woman quite like you. I look at you and I see an angel. I touch your skin and my entire body ignites. At one point, you were just a crush. Nothing more than a secret desire that plagued my fantasies. Until you weren't. Until you became so much more," I take a pause to study her face for any sort of rejection, but found none. "I'm falling in love with you…no. I_ am _in love with you."_

 _I know it's mostly the alcohol talking. I'm not exactly drunk, but definitely not sober either._

 _Drunken words, are sober thoughts, I suppose._

 _Katherine's lips were parted slightly at my confession and I want nothing more than to kiss her._

" _There's so much you don't know about me, Mia." She says suddenly._

 _Before I could respond, our moment is interrupted._

" _Miss Mia!" Emily Bennett waves me over from the house, "It's time for you to be headin' to bed now! Your father says you have to rise early tomorrow!" She screams. I inwardly groan._

 _I was trying to win hearts over here…_

" _I'm sorry I have to turn in earlier than usual," I tell her before turning back towards the house to see if Emily had gone back inside yet, which, thankfully she had. "I must say good night…" I lean in and press a quick peck to the corner of her mouth, before running off to the house. I looked back to see her standing frozen to the spot, with her gloved hand pressed lightly to the corner of her lips, where I just kissed her._

 _(X)_

* * *

"Go ahead, _blue._ Torture me, keep me captive, drain me of my blood until my body turns to dust. It'll never change the truth. It was real and so was mine."

I don't respond. In fact, I don't even blink.

"Hearing the truth after a century and a half of denial must be overwhelming." Katherine's voice snapped me out of my inner thoughts.

"It wasn't real, you lied to me, manipulated me—"

"I've done a lot of things but I have never lied to you. Ever." She says.

 _Yeah right. Liar…_

"Well, whatever feelings I had back then, they all turned to hate. A lot has changed since we were dancing under the moonlight, don't you think?"

"Love, hate, such a fine line, I can wait. Anyway, George Lockwood was causing all sorts of trouble. He used the vampires to cover up his own tracks. He told the founding families about us. But he was willing to strike a deal." Katherine tells me. I sit up straight at the new information.

"What kind of a deal?" I ask.

"A deal to rid the town of vampires." My eyes widen at her words.

 _She knew…_?

"You knew that they were gonna burn the vampires in the church?" My tone is accusatory and full of venom.

"I practically lit the match." Katherine answers with hardly any emotion.

"They were your friends, they were your _family_ and you just sold them out!" I yell.

Her eyes meet mine then, and I search for even a hint of remorse, but found none.

"Without blinking."

"What did George get in return? For giving you your freedom."

"Something he wanted desperately." She sighs.

 _There's more to this story…she was hiding—running from someone, or rather,_ something.

"So you sent 26 of your friends to their death, just to fake your own? No, you were running from _something_. What was it?" I conclude.

"Everyone has a past, Mia. Mine needed to stay far far away but thanks to you my plan nearly failed before it even began. Once George told me that the round up was imminent, I made sure I could see you one last time, but your father, he poisoned your blood. Then Damon being Damon, nearly ruined everything."

I stare at her in horror as the night my brother and I lost our lives flashes through my mind.

 _Damon pulling Katherine when we hear a gunshot and he falls. Stefan, standing next to me falls in a similar manner. I managed to free Katherine but she was severely weakened. I remember kissing her desperately then I felt the worse pain imaginable. Katherine gripping me tightly, holding me into place, until she was dragged away from me again. With Katherine's arms no longer holding me up, I fall backwards next to my brothers. My vision was blurry as I lie there,_ paralyzed. _I see her lips move…she told me she loves me, but I can't even move. Slowly I feel my body becoming numb as find myself slipping away_ …

"We came for you, we tried to _save_ you." I tell Katherine. I feel my anger rising at her recent confession.

"I didn't want to be saved." She answers dryly.

"So then my brothers and I _died_ for nothing! For nothing!" I yell. My anger showing its ugly head as realization hits. _This could have all been avoided. Our deaths and suffering for 145 years was for absolutely nothing_!

"No, Mia, you died for _love_!"

I don't say anything, in fact we both just sit there. Neither saying a word. I wait until I gain control over my breathing before I start to question her again.

"Are you gonna tell me why you came back here or you're just playing another game?"

"Have you not heard a word that I've said? I've answered that question five times over now." Katherine answers with no attempt to hide her irritation.

"Okay, you shouldn't have a problem making it six, then." I snap back at her.

"I want what I want, Mia and I don't care what I have to do to get it. My list of victims is a long one, and I have no problem adding one more name to that list."

I laugh.

"Come on Katherine, cut the crap. If you wanted Elena dead, you would have done it by now."

She shrugs, "Still can. If I have to, I will snap her neck like a twig and you know it."

Before the last word could leave her mouth, I'm standing over her with a wooden stake in my hand, baring my fangs threateningly.

After all this...I still can't kill her. I prepared for this for 145 years. Hell, the only reason why I came back to Mystic Falls in the first place was so that I could drive a stake through her heart once that tomb was open. But even now, I still can't do it.

I growl in frustration and toss the stake to the other side of the room.

I turn my back towards her so I wouldn't have to look at her smirk.

"I guess you don't hate me as much as you thought you did. I don't want you seeing Elena anymore. If you don't remove from your life, I will kill everyone that she loves while she watches and then I will kill her while you watch."

As soon as the words left her mouth, my hands are already around her throat.

"Don't you ever think, that I won't kill you if you touch her!" My veins pulse around my eyes as my vision turns red.

Suddenly, I'm being thrown to the other side of the room by Katherine who looks like she's already back in full power. _But_ _how_?

She easily snaps out of her restraints and begins stalking over to me.

"I have been sipping vervain every single day for the last 145 years. You caught me by surprise once, I wasn't gonna let it happen again. It doesn't hurt me, Mia."

I can't do anything but blink at her with wide eyes. I realize I must look like an idiot, sitting here with my mouth wide open in shock.

She's built a resistance to vervain…how on earth…

"What? Why would you go along with this?" I manage to get out. Katherine kneels in front of me.

"I told you, I missed you, Mia-blue. I just wanted to spend some time with you."

My ears pick up on the front door opening and I pray to the Gods that it's just Damon or Stefan.

"Hello?" A voice calls. It's Elena…

Katherine looks at me and I'm instantly filled with dread. She smiles and stabs my leg with a stake.

" _Shit!"_ I say loudly. The searing pain of the wood piercing my skin is worse than bad period cramps from when I was human.

Wood and vampires just don't mix…

 _She's always stabbing me with something! Hello? Has this woman ever heard of domestic violence?!_

"Mia? Stefan?" Elena calls again.

Katherine used the stake for her advantage to slow me down.

" _You must be Elena…"_ I hear Katherine say above me. Fuck I gotta hurry…

" _How is this possible? How do we look exactly alike_?" Elena asks her.

Katherine won't kill Elena. I know she won't. I don't know why, but she won't. She would've done it a while ago. She's had plenty of chances.

My wound begins to heal and I limp up the stairs as fast as I can. My wound closing with each step. _Where the fuck is Stefan during all of this…?!_

" _You're asking the wrong questions_ …" is Katherine simple reply.

"Elena!" I scream as run up the stairs as fast as I can.

Once I get there I see her standing alone, frightened, but otherwise unharmed.

"Are you okay?" I ask, rushing over to her.

"Not really. Are you?"

"Not really…" I hug her tightly. _I don't ever wanna let go_ …

(X)

* * *

We all decide to go to the grill, Stefan said he'd gone hunting, he didn't expect her to recover from the vervain so soon. That makes two of us…

"Elena." Caroline says as soon as we all sit down. Elena sits across from me next to Stefan.

"Hey."

"I'll be at the bar, while you two talk. Come on, Stefan." I excuse myself from the table, but I don't wander too far so I can hear everything.

" _Oh my god. I am so sorry about earlier today. I don't know what came over me!"_ Caroline says.

" _It's okay, Caroline. Everything that you were saying was right. It's just hard for me to hear, you know?"_ I smile to myself, at least Elena is sticking to the plan.

" _So...you're not mad at me?"_

" _You were just being a good friend...in your own way."_

" _My own head case, horrible way. Elena, I really_ am _sorry."_

Sensing the end of the conversation, I walk over to rejoin Elena. Stefan stays behind at the bar, just like we rehearsed.

"I'm starving." I sigh loudly as I slouch down in my chair.

"Well, spending the day with your jealous ex will do that to you." Elena replies bitterly.

"Listen, I know you're upset but we have to take her seriously. Today, was all about the lengths she would go to. She can be just as impulsive as Damon."

"If she was going to hurt me, she would have. I was standing right in front of her." She mumbles.

"Lena, you caught her off guard. It doesn't mean that you're safe." I try to reason with her.

"What makes you think I'm afraid of her? She doesn't scare me."

"Well, you should be. She's brutal when she doesn't get what she wants."

"If Katherine had her way, we'd be ending our _friendship_ , right now."

"If today taught me anything, is that Katherine is used to getting her way." I mumble.

"You're not actually saying that we should what she says?" Elena's voice quivers a bit.

"Listen, she's sadistic, okay? She threatened you, she threatened everyone…"

"Yeah, no, I get it. She's dangerous. But every day that we are together, it's dangerous. Why are you giving her so much power over our relationship? You can be friends with whomever you want. She has no say in that."

"This is the reality of our situation." I say.

My eyes meet hers then and it's like a silent conversation.

' _I'm sorry, this is almost too real…'_

'I know…'

"Reality sucks. This is what she wants. She wants us to fight. She wants to get between us."

"She already has, Elena." I tell in the best fake sad voice possible. She looks at me in disbelief before getting up and leaving without sparing me a second glance.

I think our plan worked…

* * *

 _Katherine POV_ :

Damon stops and looks at me. I'm leaning causally against the wall giving him a pout.

"Bad day?" I ask him.

"Bad century. I heard you were on the loose." I smile at how grumpy he is.

"What's the matter? Jealous I spent the day with Mia and Stefan?" I tease.

"I don't do jealous. Not with you, not anymore." I fake a pout at his words.

"Then why so pouty?"

"I tried to kill a werewolf, I failed. Now I feel like I'm not living up to my best self." I know he's talking about Mason. He's the only one in town with an active werewolf gene.

"Well, werewolves aren't easy prey." I sigh.

"What do you know about werewolves?" He asks eyeing me suspiciously.

"Why don't you ask your brother and sister? Don't try to be the hero, Damon. You'll end up dead." I tell him.

He stops to stare at me with an annoyed look, "Been there, done that. At least this time it'll be worth it." _Ouch._

I walk away then. I've been verbally abused by too many Salvatore's in one day for my liking.

My eyes automatically look to the sky. It's a three-quarter moon tonight…just like it was that night.

 _(X)_

* * *

 _Flashback:_

 _I'm in the woods waiting on George. He's stayed true to his word and helped me escape the fate of the other vampires._

 _I turn my head to look at them…or more specifically, her. Mia Salvatore. The one who made my centuries of living actually worth something. I know she'll come back—they all will. My arm is placed tightly around my stomach protectively, as I allow myself just a few more moments of weakness._

 _I know she'll be angry with me for turning her brothers, but I did it for her. A sense of dread fills me suddenly when I realize I'll be on the run for many years to come. It's too dangerous to bring her along. That's why turning Damon and Stefan was necessary. So, she would not feel alone…_

 _As I had for a long time..._

 _I hear leaves crunching behind me._

" _George." I acknowledge._

" _Your carriage is just waiting." He tells me._

" _All done, George. Thank you."_

" _Now onto your part of the deal."_

" _If anyone learns of my escape, I will find you and I will_ kill _you. Don't think that I won't." I threaten before dropping the moonstone in his hands._

" _We shall take each other's secrets to the grave. Now, you must hurry." He turns to lead her to the carriage._

 _I hesitate. Looking back at Mia, I know I can't leave yet. I must say goodbye…_

 _I run towards her body and drop to my knees as I gently stoke her face. Her breathing is fatally slow and I know she'll be dead within minutes now._

" _I love you, Mia. I know you'll be angry at me for what I did, but I know that won't stop us. We will be together again. I promise…" I press my lips against hers, just hoping that maybe she'd feel it as she's slipping towards the darkness. I just had to feel her soft lips on mine once more…who knows how long it'll be until I can feel them again. I notice then that her breathing stopped completely now._

 _She's gone._

 _Funny, the fairytales were obsessed with the idea that a kiss would bring on back to life. But mine did the opposite._

 _A kiss of death…_

 _I look at her once more wishing I could see those beautiful bright blue eyes once more before I had to leave. But that would never be and now I'm just wasting time…_

 _Minutes later I was on my carriage, watching silently as I saw the fire from the church as I got further away from Mystic Falls, and the love of my life…_

The memory fades and I find myself smiling sadly with my hand on my lips.

 _I'll find some way to get my girl back. After all, tomorrow is another day…_

* * *

 ** _A/N: Please don't forget to tell me if you all like the long chapters or not (I prefer them) but it's up to you all. I also want to know what you guys think if you caught some of my hints for future plot twists. I had to follow the show a lot in this chapter. It was necessary though. I did try to venture off a little bit, but I couldn't too much for the sake of the plot. If I didn't stick close to the show plot for this chapter, I would've revealed too many things too early. We don't want that!_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Thank you all so much! I love to read your reviews and I love hearing your thoughts even more. Sorry for such a late update, school was to blame. But, I'm done now so…yay!**_

 _ **There's a part in this I know one of my readers (you know who you are) is gonna love. But I must tell you, it's not even the worse it can get. We'll see Mia a lot worse in the future.**_

 _ **And I just wanna say, I enjoy Twilight. Mia doesn't, but that's understandable since she's a vampire. So, all the jabs at Twilight aren't true to what I feel personally…**_

 _ **There's a part in which Mia is playing the piano, the song she's playing sounds a lot like the piano song that Lucille plays in Crimson Peak. The lullaby.**_

 _ ****** Also, **Alucard354565** , I just caught up on your fanfic: **Intoxicating**. Amazing job! I nearly squealed when I saw you mentioned me in your a/n! I was blushing the entire time! Guys, seriously. Check the story out. **Intoxicating by Alucard354565**. Trust me you'll love it. 3_

 _ **Enjoy everyone!**_

* * *

The Stars That Connect Us

* * *

 **Chapter 5** : _The Devil May Care_

* * *

 _ **Mia**_ POV:

After Katherine threatened Elena, we've had to tone our romance down. Stefan and Damon may be oblivious, but Katherine sure wasn't and so to protect Elena, we had to keep up the whole friend façade. Elena is to stay with Stefan, while I continue to watch from the sidelines.

So, I've kept my distance as much as possible.

It hurts almost as badly as it did when I found out Katherine was messing around with my brothers. I knew they always liked her, but I was relieved when I thought she didn't return their interest.

 _ **Flashback** :_

 _I stand there with my jaw clenched and my fist balled as I watch Katherine kiss Stefan. My whole brain shouted at me to fight Stefan. To take back what was mine, but I knew that if I did I would be risking everything. Unfortunately, my anger is getting the better of me. My temper has always been like that of a fire cracker. And today was no different. No matter how hard I tried._

 _A low growl erupts from the back of my throat. Stefan didn't hear it, but I know Katherine did. Her body froze and she turned her head slightly in my directed._

 _Stefan was still oblivious to the fact that I'm literally about to explode._

" _Stefan, we should stop. Besides, I need to go. We'll talk later?" She nods to him before hurriedly walking out the door. She walks up to where I've been standing and grabs my arm despite my attempts to yank my hand back. Katherine leads me all the way outside to the field near the house where we watch the stars at night._

" _What the hell, Katherine?! You…you said you loved me! How could you…you kissed him." I yell. My heart is beating rapidly and I feel like I'm going to pass out._

" _Mia-!" She begins but I cut her off._

" _This is just another one of your games, isn't it? You don't love me…" I feel like I'm having a panic attack._

 _Suddenly she's in front of me and wraps her arms around my waist._

" _You need to calm down. You'll pass out soon if you don't get ahold of your breathing." She whispers._

" _No…Katherine I love you so much. Do you love Stefan? You kissed Stefan!" It feels like my whole world just ended. My only source of happiness these past few weeks is in love with someone else._

" _Shh, it's okay, Mia blue. It only means something when I kiss_ you _…" her eyes meet mine and suddenly her lips are on mine and I return the kiss just as eagerly._

 _It's soft and tender. But that's all that we need to pour our hearts into the kiss._

 _I pull apart because the lack of oxygen in my lungs might be enough to kill me after my sudden outburst a few moments ago._

 _I lean my forehead on Katherine's and stare in her eyes._

" _Your father practically threw Stefan and I at each other. He wants us to purse a relationship together," she breathes. "But you're the only one I want to be with. Until we runaway together, I must go through with your father's wishes. Stefan doesn't kiss me like you do. We don't share the same connection that you and I have. So, please believe me when I tell you, I only have eyes for you. But I can't have you reacting that way, Mia. You're going to scare people and your father will lock you away again. I don't think I want to witness that a second time."_

 _I tense as I remember the incident she's referring too._

 _"It won't happen again…."_

" _Well, this is a surprise. Mr. Salvatore's only daughter and the towns lovely Katherine Pierce kissing like two lesbian mutts…" I hear a gruff voice say from behind us._

 _My body freezes at the sound of the voice._

 _We've been caught._

" _Choose your next words carefully, Jonathan." Katherine says dangerously. Her eyes flickered and I knew exactly what that meant._

" _Your father should've locked you away years ago, if you ask me, you're a complete nutter!" Jonathan yells at me. I never liked him. He was one of my father's friends and he is always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong._

 _I don't even think and before I know it, I launched myself at him landing punch after punch on his face. I don't stop, nor do I want to. Katherine can't even stop me. I ignore the blood coming from his nose, staining my knuckles._

 _I growl._

 _Somehow, this still isn't enough…_

 _I stand up and slam my foot down onto his skull, satisfied by his groans, but for some reason, I still don't stop._

" _Mia! You must stop! You can't kill him, you have no idea what it would—" Katherine never finishes because suddenly there is a sickening crack, and my arms are being bent in the most unnatural way. Followed by another crack…_

 _The pain is so severe I can't even tell which part of my body hurts. Pain beyond pain…_

 _The last thing I see is Katherine's eyes turn red with veins pooling around the sides of her eyes. She lets out a low hiss before speeding away._

 _My body feels heavy and all I want to do is rest…_

 _I don't even know what just happened or why Katherine ran off the way she did._

 _Somehow, I manage to pull myself under a nearby tree at the edge of the field before I collapsed._

* * *

 **Mia** Pov:

I wake up with a start and scan my surroundings. That dream…it was _strange_ … and my first thought was that a vampire had manipulated my dream but I am alone, with no scent of another vampire.

The dream was familiar except the ending. I didn't kill him. I hadn't killed anyone until after I became a vampire…and once I did, it became hard to stop. At least until Lexi started to help with my humanity.

Letting out a loud sigh, I flop back down on the grass. I have a few more hours until sunrise, might as well enjoy the cool breeze and the night sky a little longer. Over the past few days I've done my best to stay away from Elena. Even if that includes events and gatherings. We text, and sometimes talk on the phone, but I have heeded Katherine's warning and stayed away.

The last couple of days have been spent at the bottom of a bourbon bottle. Believe it or not, I found out the limit in which vampires can drink alcohol until they experience normal drunken symptoms. And…it's a lot.

But it does help with the pain. The way I look at it, it's either killing with my humanity turned off or becoming an alcoholic.

I chose the latter…

That's what I'm currently doing now, well… _was_ doing until I passed out and woke up from a dream that ended up being a nightmare.

I reach by my side for the bourbon bottle and began drinking it hungrily as if it were blood.

* * *

 **Elena** POV:

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I haven't heard from Mia in three days. I never even told her what happened with Sheriff Forbes, Stefan and Damon. About how they were almost killed two days ago. I call and text her constantly, but she never responds. I can't help but wonder if she's found someone else to occupy her time. I guess I have no room to feel guilty, especially since I am currently dating her brother. I just hope she's handling it all okay. I try to ask Stefan, but he says the same thing. He hasn't seen her much because she's trying to lay low, but when he does she seems fine. As far as I know she hasn't gone on any rampages or killed anyone. That's a relief. I wish I could see—_

 _Knock…knock…_

I look and see Mia standing there with a bourbon bottle looking completely off her face.

 _Is that even possible for a vampire?_

So, this is how she's been dealing with it…

My heart aches at the sight of her. I can only imagine her pain, I was her anchor, and now we can't even be together.

I walk over to the window to unlock it. I've been keeping it locked since Katherine is on the loose.

"Mia…" I say before throwing my arms around her. She lazily hugs me back, but I don't care. I needed her.

We break apart and I stare into her beautiful blue eyes.

"Why'd you do it, _Katherine_? We would've been fine…we could've been _epic_ …why did you have to turn my brothers?" I stare at her in disbelief. My mouth open slightly trying to figure out what to say.

"We were fine! You didn't have to ruin them—" I capture her lips with mine to stop the nonsense spilling from her mouth. The kiss is soft and tastes like bourbon, but it's still _Mia_.

"Katherine…just answer me, please. You owe me that much." My heart sinks. Did she really think she was going to see Katherine? I can't tell what hurts more, the fact that she thinks Katherine would kiss her like this, or that she would _let_ Katherine kiss her like this.

I look into her eyes once more and I notice how faraway they seem. Almost as if she's in a haze. How much bourbon has she been drinking?

"Just answer me, please…" she sniffs. She's crying… _Oh_ _Mia_ …

I must come up with something. Maybe if I pretend to be Katherine it will put her mind at ease so she can at least sleep.

"I only did it for you," I start. Trying to do my best to mimic Katherine. "I wanted them to be with you."

Mia's eyes soften at my answer as she stumbles pass me to get to my bed.

"I feel so tired, and cold…I just want to sleep." She mumbles against my pillow.

"You should sleep, Mia."

"Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"Always." I smile sadly.

I walk over to turn off the light before getting in the bed with my back turned from Mia.

" _Katherine_?" I hear her say.

"Hmm?" I respond, holding back my tears.

" _Thank_ _you_." It's simple. But I know how much meaning is held in those words. It's meant for Katherine, and Katherine should've been the one to hear it. Unfortunately, she stumbled into my room instead. A part of me wants to be happy at that fact, but then I conclude that she only came here because she has no idea where Katherine is. In her drunken state, Mia's brain self-consciously substituted me for Katherine.

" _I love Elena…a lot more than I should, but I still love you too. A part of me will always love you. And I hate it when I have to hurt you, but you threatened the girl I love. I will never be okay with that."_

My heart skips a beat at her sudden confession. I know based on how drunk she is she won't remember much. Unless that's a hidden perk of a vampire. Remember everything even though you're shit faced.

I sigh, "I love you too. And I hate to say it, but _we_ both love you. More than you know…" That's probably the most honest thing I've said to her tonight. Katherine does love Mia. I hate to say it, but she does. Why else would she be going through all this trouble to keep us separated?

She's going to come back for Mia. After she gets what she came back for, I know she'll whisk Mia away too. Maybe she'll use Mia's love for me against her and make her go with her to protect me.

If that happens, I have no doubt, that Mia will be with her again. I don't trust Katherine alone with Mia.

There are too many unresolved feelings between the two of them and that's enough for them to rekindle what they had before.

But I've grown to love Mia a lot…I don't think I can handle seeing her happy with someone else. Especially _Katherine_ …

* * *

Mia POV:

I wake up with a slight headache. I know it would be much worse if I were human.

My memory from the night before is shot, and all I know is that I'm most certainly in Elena's bed. My hands quickly find my body, hoping to find myself fully clothed. Luckily, I was.

That's all I needed was to sleep with Elena again and have Katherine find out somehow…

"You're finally up…" I hear Elena's voice as she comes out of the bathroom, wrapped in only a towel.

My mouth waters at the sight of her. I know I must look stupid, laying here gaping at her as my eyes trail hungrily over her perfect body.

"Elena..." I stutter as my eyes find hers.

"Mia." Is her simple reply.

"Why am I…what happened?"

"You were drunk. Is that how you've been dealing with our separation, Mia? By drowning yourself with alcohol?" Elena stares at me in disbelief.

"Let it go, Elena. I'm sorry I ended up here." I mumble.

"Well, I'm not. I'm glad you did. I needed to see how you've been dealing with it and it seems I've gotten my answer."

"I'll see you later." I huff before pulling the covers back and getting out of the bed.

"No! Stop running away, Mia! You can't always runaway!"

I growl at her words. Before I even had time to think I sped her against the wall.

"Let it go Elena." I growl dangerously. I know she knows I would never hurt her, but I can't help but hope she fears me even a little bit while I have her trapped against this wall.

"No, I won't." Her eyes harden under my gaze. I can't help but notice how intimate this position is. The towel that was once covering Elena is now at her feet, leaving her very exposed against me.

"What was that?" I question, my eyebrow raised, almost daring her to repeat.

" _No_. I won't." She says again, this time with more confidence.

I don't respond, in fact, I never was going to. Instead I found myself smashing my lips to hers in a heated passion. My hands move on their own as they roam her naked body heatedly.

"Mia!" She says loudly breaking the kiss.

"Please don't stop this..." I plead. I begin kissing her neck to try and make it harder for her to resist.

Elena moans softly, clearly unable to resist me.

"I've been wanting you for the past week…" I mumble against her skin, my lips attacking her throat, biting and sucking on every inch of skin.

"Mia…please, I want to talk to you…" Elena's voice clouds through my lust. I groan loudly.

"Fine. Let's talk." I'm beyond annoyed with this whole situation. All I want to do is be intimate with the one I love. I miss her touch…

I flop down on the bed with a loud sigh.

"Just please put on some clothes first, yeah? It's kind of distracting…" I chuckle as my eyes trail over her body hungrily.

I lay back on her bed and stare at the ceiling, waiting for her to get dressed.

A few seconds later the bed dips beside me and I turn my head to see Elena dressed in a simple blouse and jeans.

 _Simple_ _never_ _looked_ _so_ _good_ …

"There's no easy way to ask this, so I'll just come right out and ask…are you still in love with Katherine?" Her question caught me off guard. I stare at her unsure why she would suddenly question my feelings for Katherine.

"Nope, I am _not_ doing this today." I respond dismissively before pushing myself off the bed.

Her hand grabs my wrist and I want to yank it from her and jump out of the window, but I made the mistake of looking her in her eyes. She stares at me with pleading brown eyes, that immediately turn me into mush. I let out a sigh as my wrist goes limp in her grasp.

"Please answer me…" Elena pleads.

"What do you want me to say, Elena? Why does it even matter? I love _you_. I've chosen to be with _you_. I've chosen to protect _you_. So, if that means I'll have to kill Katherine to keep you alive, then I will. Without blinking." She took a deep sigh at my words.

"But at what cost? If you love Katherine, how will you ever kill her? Why would you chose me over her? You and Katherine had something that I never will. She knew you when you were human…"

"Elena stop. I chose you because I am fucking in _love_ with you. Yes, it's true that Katherine will always hold a soft spot in my heart but she is finished in my head. I want you. I want to live in the now, not in the past."

Elena strokes my face softly before leaning in to place a delicate kiss on my lips. I let my eyes flutter closed as I kiss her back softly.

I pull away from her just so I can look at her.

"You're beautiful Elena. Never forget that…" my thumb softly strokes her cheek.

I press our lips together again before she pulls away and cuddles against my chest. We sit there like that, neither of us saying anything. Just enjoying each other's company.

My phone ringing loudly brings us out of our daze.

I look at the caller ID.

 _Jackson_.

"What do you have for me?" I answer quickly, hoping he found something on this Elijah person.

" _Well hello to you too, baby heartthrob_." Jackson's smug voice responds.

I chuckle, "Are you still butt hurt over that? I'm sorry I was more _desirable_..." I tease.

" _One day, we will have a rematch_ …"

"Years from now, perhaps we will…" I say, glancing over to Elena. My heart aches at the thought of not being with her.

 _How did I even make it this long?_

" _I'll hold you to that, heartthrob. I have some information. I'm heading to Mystic Falls to tell you personally. I just have to finish up a few things at work and I will be there. Yes,_ he _is real, but you might want to hold off on trying to find him about Katherine. There's a lot you need to hear_." I can hear the seriousness in his voice. My hand grips the phone at his words. What information is serious enough that he doesn't feel safe enough to say over the phone?

"I understand, Jackson. When will you be here?"

" _Eh, a couple of days at the most. Shouldn't be too long. Also, say hello to the girl that stole your heart for me. She must be special if she was able to tame you…_ " Jackson teases.

"She is…" I say softly sneaking a glance at her. She's reading a book, her eyebrows knit closely in concentration.

" _I suppose it's to be expected since she's the carbon copy of the woman you were head over heels fo_ r."

"Jackson," I say in a warning tone. I have zero patience for _anyone_ bringing Katherine up.

" _What?"_ He asks.

"I don't want to talk about that. That's…it's irrelevant." I answer him.

" _Just be careful. I'm serious, Mia. You don't remember what you were like back then. I mean when we first met…all the things you did out of anger because of Kath_ —"

"I have to go. Thank you again, Jackson. I'll see you soon." I say quickly before tapping the end button. I let out a loud sigh before flopping back down on the bed.

"Who's Jackson?" Elena asks as she runs her hands through my hair. I let out a soft sigh at the feeling.

"An old friend of mine. I met him a couple of months after I became a vampire. He's a good guy. Jackson knows Lexi too."

"How old is he?" she asks.

"In vampire years?"

She hums in response.

"Around 700 years, maybe more. He doesn't look a day over 30 though. He likes to live a normal life. Goes to work, has human friends and everything."

"Really? Wow. So, what happens if they notice he doesn't age? Is it like Twilight and he just moves after a certain amount of years?"

"First off, never compare _anything_ to Twilight. I just… _can't_ get with that movie. I believe he told me he just compels them. He likes the city life, as do I, So, most of the time he doesn't really run into a lot of the same people. He works as a personal trainer now."

"I think that's how I would want to be if I ever became a vampire. I'd want to be as normal as possible."

"That's how I was before I came back here. Went to college, had a job—well, technically I still do. I told them I was spending a year working in a hospital overseas. I even had a few human friends that I'd hang out with sometimes. I just wanted to be as normal as possible, you know? That was after I got over my rampages of course. I owe that all to Lexi."

"I will probably be the same. Just living life, hanging with friends, going out, working, and have a nice house and car." Elena says.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. You _will_ be normal. You'll get married, have kids, watch Jeremy get married and have kids, grow old…do all the typical human stuff."

"And you? What will you do?"

"Me? Oh, probably repeat the last 145 years, keeping my annoying little brothers in line, avoid Katherine, et cetera..."

"That's it?" She asks me.

"Probably. Of course, I'll check in with you over the years. Make sure your family is safe and your kids live a long life, and all the little descendants to come." I say the last part teasingly. My chuckle was cut short when I realized Elena didn't laugh with me. In fact, she looked troubled…

"What's bothering you?" I ask softly. My hand is running through her hair absentmindedly.

"It's just…once you put it like that, I got sad. I never thought about the years to come. I hadn't thought about marriage or even kids since I met Stefan. I never thought about growing old while you three stay the same. Eventually, I'll die and be nothing but a distant memory to you. It _scares_ me." Elena lets out a troubled sigh. Her eyes have grown sad, suddenly.

"You could never be a distant memory to me. If I still walk this earth, there will _always_ be someone here that remembers the beautiful, selfless Elena Gilbert. I'll _never_ forget you."

I place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"It's not the same…You'll fall for someone else! Someone else will steal your heart. Maybe even Katherine!"

"You're thinking too hard, love. I mean, wouldn't you want kids? You can't do that as a vampire…" I just want to calm her. She needs to understand that being a vampire isn't the life for her.

"Of course, I want kids, didn't you?"

"I did. Just not in the 19th century. In fact, I hated the idea of having kids when I was a human. Don't get me wrong, I wanted them, but I _hated_ the idea of being a housewife. I hated how much pressure was put on women to conceive boys. Besides, I preferred the company of women anyways…"

"Even then? Did you ever like boys?" Elena asks me curiously.

"For a time, I did. I even gave myself up to one. He was my best friend and I'm sure father would've had us married if he'd gotten the chance. It was the start of the war and his father, much like mine, wanted to send their firstborn son to fight for the south." I roll my eyes at the mentality that men possessed even back then.

"Since he was already eighteen, his father forced him to go. I was upset, I was scared that I'd never see my friend again. I wasn't stupid. I knew he liked me. I was seventeen then, and I figured it would make sense to give myself to someone who at least cared for me. So, I did. It was my way of trying to give him something to want to come home to. But it didn't work. I never heard from him again—I presumed he died because his family hadn't heard from him in almost a year. I was turned into a vampire a year before the war ended, so if he did came back home, he would've been told I was dead."

"Did you love him back then?" She asks. I know she wants to get as much information as possible from me. I rarely talk about my past.

"Honestly? I thought I did. But then when I finally did fall in love, the feelings I had for my friend were nothing compared to my love for Katherine or you. But for what it's worth, if I was going to marry any man, I would've liked it to have been him."

"What was his name?"

"Thomas. When we first met, I teased him because I thought he had an old man's name." I chuckle at the memory.

"Do you ever wish you had kids? If you weren't subjected to being a typical housewife?" My hand freezes from playing with Elena's hair. This causes her to look up at me.

"I never tell anyone this…but a few months after I turned, I started to have dreams about a beautiful girl with blue eyes that matched mine. She was probably around two years old, with brown hair about…" I trail off as I examine the color of Elena's hair, "Yeah, about the same color as yours actually. Except it's naturally curly."

Elena laughs at my description, "Like Katherine's?"

"Oh, jeez. Leave it to _you_ , to bring up that hell spawn." I say laughing.

"But yeah, I guess that's a fair comparison," I begin a few seconds after I stopped laughing. "I know right away she's my kid. She looks like me a little bit, mostly with her mannerisms, but her other features seem _familiar_ , like very familiar, but I can never seem to remember anything but her striking blue eyes and brown hair. Which, now I'm going to always compare her hair to Katherine's," I chuckle. "I have the dream off and on, and the only thing that's changed is that she's a little older now. Not much. She's probably around five or so…"

"Looks like someone would've loved to have a daughter with her blue eyes and hair like Katherine…" Elena teases.

"Oh, shut up. Plenty of girls have that kind of hair. And who wouldn't want my eye color? It's even better than Damon's." I reply with a smug smile.

"Agreed. Damon's aren't as _blue_ as yours." Elena says smiling at me. Our faces edge closer together as we stare into each other's eyes.

" _Agreed_." I whisper just before placing our lips together.

(x)

* * *

My eyes are shut softly as my hands glide melodiously over the piano keys. Damon is sitting on the couch reading a book. Stefan is out with Elena. As much as it bugs me, I must hide it. Playing the piano is one of the easiest ways to keep my mind occupied.

This melody is one of my favorites. It's been a while since I've played it, but I quickly remember why I this is one of the best songs I've ever written.

"I know that song…" I hear Damon say as he looks up from his book. His eyebrows furrowed as he tries to remember what song I'm playing. I smile softly. I figured he would remember it.

 _A true blast from the past…_

After a few more seconds he finally figures it out, "I remember now…you and Katherine would play a version of this in a duet back in 1864."

I chuckle softly. My hands never stopped playing even after I realize I'm sporting a goofy smile.

"This was _my_ song. Katherine made the duet version. She told me she loved the melody." I say softly.

"It does have a beautiful sound. I wish I could play like you. Father gave up on me even when I was just a kid, I suppose." Damon chuckles.

I stop playing then. I turn my body so that I'm facing him.

"No. It's not your fault Father was set in his ways. The only one he tolerated after a while was Stefan. With my temper and you always going against his wishes, he turned his attention to Stefan. That's no one else's fault but his. Father should've learned to be a better parent. That's what lead him to his… _untimely_ death."

"Stefan always says he was the one who killed father," I look down at my hands as my fingers twirl around. I already know his question. He's asked it before, and I never answer him. But this time, I know I will. It's been years since that night.

"But it wasn't, was it?" His voice is soft, and almost un-Damon like. Well, not _this_ Damon, anyway.

He reminds me of the Damon that would follow me around like a lost puppy. The Damon that would sneak to bring me treats when I was in trouble. I know it won't last, and I don't want it to. But I want to relish this moment. Remembering the sweet boy that died long ago. This is the boy I _wouldn't_ mind answering to…

" _No_. It was not." I tell him. It's then that my eyes finally leave my hands and meet Damon's.

"It's not like I care that _either_ of you killed him, but why did Stefan always take the blame?"

"That was something he decided on his own. He did it for me. I'm sure you remember how I was back then. I was worse than Stefan…I didn't know he took the blame until years later. I ran as soon as I ripped him apart and fed on his blood. I turned my humanity off and left town. I didn't care what happened. The pain of losing everything—losing _Katherine_ , was too strong. I had to turn it off. I was a ripper for years until Lexi found me. Stefan talked about her, but we hadn't properly met until I slaughtered everyone in a gated community on the coast of Florida. There was blood everywhere…my first words to Lexi were, ' _Now this is art_ …' I was so fucking messed up back then…"

"Don't hold onto that. You couldn't control it." Damon tells me.

"But I remember it. I remember their screams, how they begged and everything. All that _horror_...I told myself the horror was for love. For Katherine. Because she was killed by stupid humans that _fear_ what they don't understand. I was doing it all out of hurt and anger for the girl I loved. But would Katherine have stopped me? She knew I was alive, and she decided to hide from me. She could've stopped me from doing all that…"

"Well Katherine's a bitch. She doesn't deserve you…at least not anymore."

Before I could respond, there's knock at the door.

Damon gets up to answer, while I pour myself a glass of bourbon. I only get to enjoy one sip before my ears pick up on the conversation at the door.

"I need to talk to you." I pick up a voice from the door. It sounds like Jeremy. _What's he doing here?_

"And why do I need to talk to you?" Comes Damon's snide remark. I roll my eyes as I quickly gulp down my drink before rushing to the door, just in time to see Damon trying to close the door on Jeremy's face.

I shove Damon out the way before opening the door wider for him.

"Little Gilbert! What's up?" I say before giving him a quick hug. Damon is glaring daggers into the side of my head, so I send him a smirk before pulling away from Jeremy.

"Tyler Lockwood has to kill someone to activate his curse. He's not a werewolf yet." He tells me.

"Wow, fascinating. Not good enough." Damon says sarcastically and tries to shut the door again.

My hand catches his wrist, "Chill out, Damon," I say before turning my attention back to Jeremy. "Go on." I say to him.

"Mason Lockwood _is_ a werewolf and he's looking for a moonstone, a special rock connected to the werewolf legend. That's why he's here."

"A moonstone?" I ask.

"And I know where it is." Jeremy says.

"And you're telling us this…why?" Is Damon's childish remark. I shoot him a glare.

"Do I need a reason? Look, I just want to help, okay?" Jeremy practically yells at Damon.

"Hey, talk to _me_. Ignore him. He's being a dick. But I must ask, what did your sister say about this little discovery?" I question him. My eyebrows raise when he goes silent. _He hasn't told her…_

"Oh, you haven't told her, have you?" I conclude.

"Well, Elena doesn't want me getting involved in all this." Jeremy says. Before I can respond he tries to walk through the door but Damon pushes him out.

"And you're a _Gilbert_ and you just can't help yourself. Wow. Your search for life's purpose is as obvious as it is tragic." _Jeez…I feel like I'm moderating a petty argument between little kids_.

" _Damon_." I warn, once again shoving him to the side.

"Come in. Damon—actually, _both_ of you, behave yourselves. Neither of you are little kids…" I sigh. "Bad enough we have Liz and Caroline going through it, I don't need any more drama in this house…" I mumble the last part.

Liz Forbes isn't my favorite person right now. Not only did she try to kill my brothers, but I hate how she's been treating Caroline after she found out about her transition into a vampire. Mostly because I do like Caroline. She's a sweet girl, who wants nothing more than to please her mother.

 _Sounds a lot like how we all were with our father_ …

(X)

* * *

"Ric!" Damon greets Alaric as he walks in with a box full of Isobel's research.

"What are you doing here?" He stops and looks at Jeremy.

"Helping. I'm the one who found out about the moonstone." He tells Alaric who looks between Damon and I with a questioning look. We both shrug in response.

"Does Elena know you're here…" He asks Jeremy.

"Not exactly…"

"Whatcha got?" Damon asks as he jumps up.

He walks over to the box and begins digging through it. I'm still sitting, trying to finish my bourbon.

I know I shouldn't drink too much. Especially after what happened the other day. I promised Elena I would try to cope with our separation a different way. So, I have.

"Mmm, Vanessa. The hottie." I roll my eyes at Damon's childishness.

"Vanessa, yes. Now, do you remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?"

"Sun and the moon, blah blah blah blah blah." Damon says waving his hand in a dismissive manner.

"An Aztec curse? Cool." Jeremy jumps in.

"Yeah, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun." I inform him. I take another sip of my drink.

Damon wiggles his finger with his daylight ring. I roll my eyes.

"Well, yes. _Most_ of us anyway…" I correct. Taking a glance at my own daylight ring.

"According to the legend, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with the moonstone." Alaric informs us as he pulls out a map for Jeremy.

"What do you mean _sealed_?" Jeremy asks.

"It's a witch thing, whatever seals the curse is usually the key to unsealing the curse." I tell him with a tired sigh. _Witches and their spells…_

"Maybe Mason Lockwood believes he can use the moonstone to break the curse."

"If we start believing in some supernatural witchy-woo legend from a picture book, we're idiots. Who has the stone now?" Damon asks impatiently. I agree with him though. Let's just get this stupid stone…

"Tyler." Jeremy tell us.

"Can you get it?" Damon asks him.

"Yeah."

"See, _now_ your life has purpose."

" _Damon_!" I gasp and throw a book at him.

"Ow…" He groans and I stick my tongue out at him.

"So, you _do_ believe in it?"

"It's the same book that says a werewolf bite kills a vampire. Ignoring it would make me an even _bigger_ idiot. Let's go." _Touché_ , _Damon_. _Touché_ …

* * *

 _ **3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **person POV**_ :

Katherine Pierce walked with such grace, it was almost unnatural. The way she swayed her hips, with her perfect posture, was nothing short of sexual.

She knew she was playing a dangerous game. Staying so close to keep an eye on Mia was both stupid and reckless. Not that there's much of a difference between the two...

Let's just say Katherine had more than one agenda when it came to her freedom. In other words, she wasn't just back here to bargain with Klaus.

Katherine knew of Mia's struggles. She knew of her blood driven rampages, and dangerous coping mechanisms. Katherine even contemplated letting Mia keep her relationship with Elena because it kept her rage at bay. As much as Katherine told herself this was strictly a part of her plan; that Mia and Elena's relationship was in the way, she knew it was nothing more than a lie.

She couldn't _stand_ to see them together. It made her very skin crawl and her heart burn with jealousy. Mia was _hers_.

Katherine hoped that by her showing her face and claiming her love for Mia, it would remind her of the love they shared. The connection that ran so _deep_ between them that it will never go away. Not now—not even at the end of time. For that connection is caused by the very soul.

When Mia looked her in the eyes with clenched teeth and veins pooling around her eyes, telling her how much she _hated_ her; Katherine knew she fucked up.

The really messed up thing about it, though…is that Katherine would do it again. She never regretted the day she rode in to Mystic Falls. Just the day she rode _out_ of Mystic Falls.

Katherine takes a sip of wine as she begins to weigh out the possibilities in this whole situation.

Mason has finally gotten the moonstone but has yet to give it to her. He told her that he would bring it to her sometime later today.

She knows Mia and Elena were together late last night. She has yet to figure out what to do about that. Obviously, her warning meant nothing…

But that could wait until later…she has bigger things to worry about. _Klaus_.

Maybe it was time to put aside her true feelings for Mia…at least for now.

 _But no. She didn't want to do that._

 _Unless…_

Katherine smirks.

She still has many moves left. She hasn't even revealed her trump card…

* * *

 _ **Mia**_ POV:

"There you are. I've been over this entire yard trying to find you two! And that's saying something because the Lockwoods have land that goes on for miles…" I tell them

Stefan and Damon turn to me with this look in their eyes. They've discovered something…

"What is it?"

"Apparently, Bonnie had a witchy vision of Mason and Katherine kissing."

I freeze. So, I had been right…it _wasn't_ a coincidence.

"I hear so much about this _Mason_ person and I still have yet to meet him…" I say in a sweet voice. I've been _dying_ to meet the guy who almost caused my brothers to be killed.

"This makes no sense!" Damon says angrily, "I know they came back at the same time, but Mason Lockwood?! Werewolf thing aside, the guy is a _surfer_. She's got to be using him. She has to be."

His sudden outburst causes me and Stefan to look at him with our eyebrows raised.

"Mhm, using him for what exactly, Damon?" I sigh. This whole thing is tiresome…

"Mason Lockwood's looking for a moonstone that allegedly can break the full moon werewolf curse. Maybe Katherine wants it as well." He concludes.

I'm surprised because it makes more sense than I thought Damon could make when it came to Katherine.

"Why?" Is all Stefan can ask.

"Well...no idea. That's the beauty of Katherine; she's always up to something." I roll my eyes at his response. _Well…I thought he had it all worked out in his head but…_

"So, how are we gonna find this moonstone?" Stefan asks.

"Jeremy is getting it from Tyler."

"Why would you two involve Jeremy?" Stefan questions looking between us both.

"Hey, I told him little bro…He wanted to involve Jeremy…" I say throwing my hands up.

Stefan shakes his head before slapping Damon on the arm and walking away.

"He's playing Indiana Jones. He involved himself." Damon calls after him. Stefan turns around and shakes his head. I chuckle.

"Should've listened to me, brother." I tease.

He huffs and walks off towards Stefan.

After a few minutes of debating I finally decide to find Elena. Hopefully I'm able to sneak a few moments away with her…

I find her rather quickly. I'm not surprised, though. She's the most beautiful girl here—at least to me.

A soft chuckle leaves my mouth when I see her looking around for something. Her eyebrows furrowed closely together in frustration.

I pull out my phone and send her a quick text.

' _Turn around, Princess…_ '

Elena stops when she hears her phone and fiddles around in her purse for her phone. Her face lights up when she reads the text. I wait patiently for her eyes to find mine. Her eyes scan around until they finally rest on me. Elena's face explodes with a huge smile and her eyes sparkle.

I send her another quick text.

' _Can I steal you away for a moment?'_

Elena rolls her eyes playfully at my message.

' _You may, but not for long, Mia. Lol.'_ She replies.

I begin walking towards the Lockwood Mansion knowing Elena will follow.

Once I'm inside, I walk to the bathroom, making sure to leave the door ajar for Elena.

"Why are we in a bathroom?" Elena asks as she comes in. She shuts the door quietly behind her. I smirk and reach over to turn the water on in the sink.

"Because I want to do this…" I whisper before pushing her against the door. My body being pressed against hers is almost enough for me to lose control.

 _God, how I miss this…_

Elena let's out a soft sigh as my lips attack her neck. She begins to run her fingers through my hair, just the way I like.

"I miss you…" I tell her as my lips trail from her neck, to her jaw, and finally stopping to place a kiss on her lips.

"It hurts me too. Knowing that I can't be near you…" Elena tells me softly.

"I know, Lena…I can't have Katherine hurting anyone you love. It will literally destroy me."

"It's not just that. I mean, I'm the one who kissed you first, who told you that if this is what makes us happy then we should go with it. You deserve to be happy, Mia." She tells me.

"Kind of hard to do with a crazy ex on the loose…my happiness isn't important. You, Stefan, Damon, Jeremy, Caroline…and as much as I _hate_ to say it, Bonnie. You are all what's important. I'll be fine."

"You know, Mia, sometimes you make it sound like you have this ' _I'm ready to die for you without a second thought_ ' attitude." _Well duh_ …

"You get so worried about me," I chuckle as I poke her nose. "I'm okay, Elena, trust me."

"I do trust you, but I also _know_ you."

"Then you should already know—" Elena's phone buzzes in her pocket. I stop talking and nod my head for her to see who it is.

"It's Stefan…he says he's with Damon and _Bonnie_?" She says confused looking at me for confirmation. I shrug my shoulders in response.

"Ask him why."

"I just did…I'm starting to think your brothers are incapable of staying out of trouble…" She mumbles.

"My thoughts exactly. Don't worry about it, love. I'll find them…" I kiss her one last time before turning to leave.

"Mia." She says before I open the door.

I stop with my head cocked to the side, my hand hovering over the doorknob, waiting for her to continue.

"I love you." She tells me softly. I feel a shiver down my spine upon hearing those words.

"And I love you." I whisper just before flashing out of the bathroom.

I find Stefan and Damon within a few minutes.

"I have to fill Elena in on what's going on." I hear Stefan say just as I've sped into view.

"Yes, I'm sure she and I _both_ would be delighted to hear what my two idiotic brothers are doing with the most _self-entitled_ witch in town." I say with slight disgust. I'm leaning on a nearby tree with my arms crossed.

"Yes, why don't you fill you're derisive, _arrogant_ sister into this little plan you two have come up with…" Bonnie replies with a glare.

"Listen you _little_ —!" I start, but Damon cuts me off.

"Stefan and I were just convincing—" Damon stops to look at Bonnie. " _Pleading_ , Bonnie to help with this whole Mason situation."

"What was it you wanted her to do?" I ask.

"All she has to do is touch Mason Lockwood again to see if he gave Katherine the moonstone." Damon responds.

"My visions don't work like that. I don't get to ask questions." Bonnie tells Damon.

"How inconvenient. Although, let's talk about that little witchy juju thing you do with me. You know, the fun one where my brain bursts into flames? What is that?"

"That's me giving you an aneurysm. Your blood vessels go pop, but you heal quickly; so, I do it over and over again." I roll my eyes at her dramatics.

"Is it vampire specific?"

"It'd work on anyone with a supernatural healing ability."

"Good. Good, good."

"Damon, I'm not gonna help you hurt him." Bonnie tells him. I've stayed silent this whole time. Quietly taking in the situation. If Mason was seen kissing Katherine, then he must have some information on her. For once, my stupid brothers may have a good plan here.

Besides, I've been _dying_ to meet him for some time now.

"Mason Lockwood's a werewolf, Katherine's evil. They're the bad guys. Really? You're gonna play morality police with me right now? Let me put it to you another way: they're a threat to Elena. So you, witch, are gonna get over yourself and help us." Damon's annoyed voice breaks through my thoughts.

I see Stefan walking back from finishing his call with Elena.

"Yeah, he meant that as a question with a "please" on the end." Stefan tells her. He puts emphasis on the word please, expecting Damon to say it.

He smirks, "Absolutely."

"Fine." Bonnie huffs and walks away.

Stefan follows closely behind her, but Damon lingers for a moment.

I use this time to speed up to him.

"We need to use him to get information on Katherine, not just the moonstone. I'll be waiting at the house. I trust you all can get Mason there…" I whisper to him, low enough so Stefan won't hear.

"Glad to see my clever sister is back," He teases. "But if it comes down to torture, I need to know that you can handle it. Can you?" Damon's eyes hold a certain seriousness to them now.

I pause. I know the risks of what I am about to agree to. Things like _this_ can lead me back to my old ways. _One_ senseless act of violence can lead to many more, and before I know it I am a vampire with no humanity and zero regard for human life…

 _For Elena_ …

"Yes."

(X)

* * *

I've been sitting in front of the fireplace drinking a glass of Bourbon. I've just been thinking.

I don't know what will happen after Damon and I get done torturing Mason, but I'm worried.

It must be done though…He's close to Katherine. That's enough reason right there.

A shuffle behind me snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Caroline…" I greet as I see the blonde walk beside me.

"Hey. I'm sorry…I know I probably shouldn't bother you right now. It seems like you're deep in your thoughts, but I guess I wanted to be near someone that doesn't hate me for a while…" She lets out an awkward laugh.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. Truly I am…" I tell her. I know she's referring to her Mom. It pains me because I know Caroline is trying to mend their relationship, but her Mom seems set in her ways. A lot like my father…

 _These founding families suck._

"It's not your fault. All you did was try to save me. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. I don't want you to carry the burden of my death with you. It's so not your fault. So, stop acting weird around me." She gives me the biggest grin that actually makes me laugh.

" _Thank you_." I tell her softly.

"Anytime!" Is her cheerful response.

"Umm, Caroline?"

"Hmm?" She answers.

"You know…you know how I struggle with my anger and bloodlust, right?" She nods her head. "I just…If I were to ever lose control, can you please just make sure Elena knows I love her? Even if you have to tell her every day for me. She can't forget it. Tell her I'm sorry, if it ever happens." I realize I've been rambling and my twirling my fingers.

"Is there something wrong?" I can tell her caring nature has kicked in.

"No. Nothing. I just realized that if something ever did happen I would have no way to remind her that I truly love her."

"Oh, Mia…you aren't thinking about turning your humanity off, are you? You _can't_ …" I stay silent. Still twirling my fingers together.

"No. But if it _should_ happen, she must know." I lie.

"I understand. Of course, I'll tell her. It's the least I can do after you saved my life."

I scoff, "If I hadn't you and your mom wouldn't be on bad terms and you'd still be human."

"No. You _did_ save me. It's not your fault Katherine killed me. You were just trying to heal me."

"Your kindness is misplaced. I don't deserve it. A monster doesn't deserve kindness." I mumble.

"A monster? You, Mia Salvatore, are no monster! You're a vampire." Caroline tries to reassure me.

"Not sure there's much of a difference, Caroline…" I chuckle.

"You know what I mean!" She laughs.

"I hope you never find out what _I_ mean, though. Ever."

"Then _don't_. Control it. You told me that I would get through this. And so, you will too. You have to…for Stefan, Damon, and most importantly Elena."

"Caroline…You don't understand. And I pray to whatever God that you never will."

Before Caroline can respond, we pick up on noise from outside. Then Damon's voice complaining.

"I should get back downstairs…" Before I know it, she speeds to the basement, leaving me alone for a few more seconds.

I hear the front door open and Damon comes in with Mason over his shoulder with Bonnie in tow. He puts him in a chair across the room and Bonnie drops his bag. I take one last gulp of Bourbon before standing on my feet.

"Here's his bag. As requested." She tells him.

"Okay, grab that corner." Damon tells her as he points to a blanket.

"Why are we doing this?" Bonnie asks.

"Because I don't want to stain the carpet." I answer her.

"I knew it would be something like that." She scoffs.

"Judging again." Damon wiggles his finger.

"He's not gonna be out much longer."

I walk over to them. Damon begins rummaging through Mason's bag.

"Whoa. Looks like this guy is used to being tied up…" He says pulling chains out of his bag.

I raise an eyebrow as I inspect the chains.

"It'll hold." I conclude.

Bonnie begins doing some witchy stuff by placing her hands around Masons forehead.

"What are you doing?" Damon questions.

"You're looking for a moonstone. I'm trying to help you find it."

"Oh, good, yeah. Find out if he gave it to Katherine, and find out where she is. And find out what they're gonna do with it once they get it."

I walk around back to stand in front of the fireplace. Almost wishing there was a way out of this. But I know there is none. It must be done. Damon begins using the chains to tie Mason to the chair.

Bonnie is trying to search his head for answers…the more the better. The less I'll have to do.

"Somewhere _small_. _Dark_. There's _water_." She says suddenly.

"Like a sewer?" I ask her.

"No. Like a well? That can't be right. Yeah. It's a well."

Damon and I look at the other, confusion written on our faces.

"Why would it be in a well?" Damon asks. Bonnie opens her eyes and lowers her hands.

"I told you, I only get what I get."

Mason grunts and then grabs Bonnie by the wrist. Damon quickly moves Mason's hand away from Bonnie's.

She shivers and begins to walk away.

"That's it. That's all I got." She says before reaching the door.

"Hey, Bonnie!" I call after her.

She stops and turns to look at me, " _Thank you_." I tell her.

"Yes, thanks, Judgey." Damon chimes in.

She walks out, leaving us alone with Mason.

 _It's time_... _I know what I must do. This part is very crucial. I don't need to flip my switch fully. That will only lead to disaster and we'll never get the answers we need._

I close my eyes and concentrate…

* * *

 _ **Damon'** s Pov (short):_

I watch Mia close her eyes as her breathing becomes even. Almost as if she's falling asleep. I do my best not to break her concentration because one wrong move could potentially fry her switch. Vampire's aren't meant to have a half turned on switch. It's either on or it's off. _Simple_.

But Mia found a way to do it. I don't fully understand it myself. Some psychology crap, probably. Mia studied that nonsense for years.

Suddenly her eyes open.

"Did you…" My voice trails off as she stalks over to Mason and punches him in the face.

"Come on. Wake up, wolf boy!" She screams at him. Her voice is all I need to hear. It's cold and detached. I pray that she hasn't switched it off completely.

* * *

 _ **Mia**_ POV:

I feel… _amazing_. Powerful; uncaring. Imagine if I switched it off completely…

I stare down at the wolf tied to the chair.

" _Aww_ ," I say grabbing his chin to force him to look up at me. "He's actually kind of _cute_. Tell ya what, if you cooperate, I'll kill you quickly. But if not…well, you better get used to the pain pretty boy. You _can_ actually feel pain, can't you?" I smirk awaiting his answer.

"What's the matter? _Kat_ got your tongue?" I chuckle at my own joke earning a snicker from Damon.

Mason doesn't respond. He struggles to try to break out of the chains.

Damon hands me the iron poker that he heated from the fireplace.

"Let's see…" I pretend to think about my decision to stab him.

I stab him with the hot iron in his chest. He screams in pain much to my delight.

"You can hurt - good to know." I grab him to look at his wound to see he's already healing.

"Oh, but you heal quickly. Not good. Guess I'll just have to keep applying pain." I hold out the rod for Damon to begin heating it again.

"So... Katherine. How do you know her? What is she up to?" I ask.

Mason doesn't respond, but he'd much rather spit on the floor. _Ew_.

" _Disgusting_ …Haven't you any manners?"

"Who are you, anyway?" Mason finally decides to speak. I look at him in mock surprise.

I fake a pout, "I'm actually bothered that Katherine didn't talk about me…"

I watch as realization forms on his face, "Mia Salvatore. You're different…You _smell_ different than any vampire I've ever come across…"

"Ding, ding. The wolf wins, and stop sniffing me, _dog_." I smirk.

I turn back to see Damon still heating the rod.

"When did you two meet? Did she seduce you, tell you she _loved_ you? You're supernatural so she can't compel you. I'm sure she used her other charms. Katherine's good that way."

Before I can question him further, the door opens and little Gilbert walks in.

"I thought I told you to leave." Damon tells him.

"I found something in Ric's box of stuff."

"Ooh, what is it?"

"I did a search on my phone. It's a plant. Aconitum Vulparia. It grows in the mountainous areas of the northern hemisphere. Commonly known as aconite, blue rocket, and _wolfsbane_." Jeremy tells Damon danglingly the plant in front of him. I speed over to him and snatch it out his hand.

"Good, wolfsbane. Good work, little Gilbert." I wink.

"Now, I'm going to ask this once. You either answer me truthfully or you're going to get a nice rub down full of wolfsbane!"

He grunts in response.

"What's Katherine doing in Mystic Falls?" I ask him. I wait a few seconds but he doesn't answer.

I brush the end of the wolfsbane plant across his cheek. I grin as his skin burns from it. I see Jeremy shift uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye.

"Why is she here?" I try again.

"She's here with me. Why do you ask, you jealous?" I do feel a sharp pain in my chest at his words. I've suspected for some time now that they've come back together but hearing it made it more real…

I decide to retaliate in the best way I know how, "How rude of me. You know, I just realized, I didn't offer you anything to eat." I say sweetly, just before shoving the wolfsbane into his mouth. Satisfied with his grunts and groans, I pull it out of his mouth, but not before he coughs up some that slipped down his throat.

"Why do you want the moonstone?"

"Screw you!" Mason screams at me.

"Wrong answer, _pup_." I raise my hand to strike him.

"If he was gonna say anything, he would have already!" Jeremy yells at me, "Seriously, Mia. This isn't like you!" I bite the inside of my jaw.

I turn to glare at him, "Being Elena's little brother has earned you a pardon, boy. Now, shut up or get out." I growl. Jeremy stares at me wide eyed.

"Is your…You turned your humanity off, didn't you?" he asks me.

"So, so. I've cut off parts of it. If you can't handle this, I'd hate you to see me when it is turned _all_ the way off."

"And you're okay with your sister being like this?!" He yells at Damon.

"The only way to get the job done." Damon replies in a bored tone.

"Why couldn't you just do it yourself? Do you realize what you've done? My sister will _never_ forgive you!"

I turn my attention back to Mason, ignoring Jeremy and Damon screaming at each other.

"I'm taking your eyes now." I threaten, sneering down at him.

"The well! You can find it there!" he screams.

I hold the wolfsbane in front of him threateningly.

"I know where it is. I want to know what it does and why you want it."

"I'm getting it for Katherine."

"Why?" I growl, kneeling so that I am eye to eye with him.

"She's gonna use it to lift the curse."

"Of the moon? Now, why would a vampire help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want?" I question. None of this sounds right. He may believe this bull crap but there is something else going on here.

"So that I wouldn't have to turn anymore."

"Okay...? why?" My voice is laced with annoyance.

"Because she loves me." I laugh right in his face.

"Now—now I get it. You're just stupid. Katherine doesn't love you. She's using you, you're a dumbass."

"She does love me! You're just jealous of our love!" He's really testing my patience.

"Jealous of _you_?" I scoff.

"Yes. Because you can't have her! Katherine's not a _dyke_." He spat the word dyke.

Veins begin to pool around my eyes as my anger shows its ugly head.

"You'd be surprised, pup. I'm sure I've fucked Katherine more times than you've _shitted_ , punk. And each time, I had her screaming my name like a holy chant from the bible. I know things about her that you can only dream of, you pathetic piece of shit. Not a dyke my ass. You don't know the real Katherine." I tell him smugly.

"Get Jeremy out of here, Damon."

"I'm staying." He says like the defiant teenage he is.

"No. You're leaving." Damon tells him.

"I'm staying, Damon. Mia, he's had enough."

I speed over to Jeremy and grab him by the throat.

"You wanted to be a part of this? Well, here it is! Kill or be killed! The guy is a werewolf; he'd kill us at the first chance he got! So, you suck it up or leave!" I yell at him.

"You really did turn your humanity off…" He whizzes out.

"It was well needed. About time I detached myself from these horrible feelings." I let him go with a push. Jeremy tumbles to the ground.

" _Mia_! What's going on?!" My entire body freezes. It's _Elena_ …

 _Oh, what do you think of me now, love_?

My heart soars at the sound of her voice and my eyes soften.

"Stefan, get her out of here!" Damon yells. Mason groans and suddenly I'm able to snap back to the task at hand.

I ignore Elena, and Stefan.

"I _almost_ pity you. But then again, there is that issue with you trying to _kill_ my brothers, so…" I shrug.

"I _love_ her!" He screams.

I laugh at his words. I lean on both sides of the chair and look him in the eye. "And I suppose you will _die_ for her love. Just as _I_ did." I tell him through gritted teeth. My voice is laced with such venom, it's almost unrecognizable.

"Stop…We're in love! She loves me!" He tried again. He must think he can get me to change my mind… _ha_!

"But _she_ loves _me_. Since the moment she came here, she's been proclaiming her love for me. Trying to seduce me. I must admit, I am rather _jealous_ that she was with you while she claimed she came back for me. Unfortunately, Katherine would only rip out your heart. So, why don't I do my former love a favor?"

I thrust my hand into Mason's chest while looking him in the eyes. Mason groans and I smile. I rip his beating heart from his chest. My eyes never leaving his as they go lifeless and his head falls to his chest.

I hear Elena let out a mangled cry and my eyes flicker to the doorway. Elena stood there looking at me with nothing but fear in her eyes.

My eyes soften…

" _Elena_ …" I clutch my head in pain. This is why Damon wanted her gone. Seeing Elena is too much for me while I'm in this state.

"Stefan, I told you to get her out of here!" I hear Damon growl.

"Mia…please…this isn't you." She says between sobs. I let out a loud scream as my head feels like it will explode hearing her voice. My heart on the other hand, feels warm and fuzzy.

* * *

 _ **Damon**_ POV:

 _Damnit, Stefan!_

I watch in horror as a bad situation got 10x worse.

Mia's clutching her head screaming and Stefan is just standing there wide eyed. Elena keeps trying to reach out to her not realizing that it's her voice that's doing this to her. Before I could tell Elena to stop talking, Mia stops screaming, she just _stops_. Her body relaxes and her hands fall from her face.

 _No…no!_

"Mia?" Elena asks hesitantly. Suddenly Mia flashes to her. She's quick, even for my eyes. But Mia's always been fast.

Stefan steps forward but I hold my hand up.

Mia nuzzles her face in Elena's neck, I can hear her sniff her and let out a sigh as she smells the delicious scent of her blood. Elena tries to put on a brave face but I can see the fear looming in her eyes.

Suddenly, Mia yelps. It's like she's trying to pull herself out of the house. Like she's fighting herself to leave. She slams herself into a wall, bumps into the table, and even scratches her nails on the wall, trying to force herself out of the house.

None of us can do anything. This is an inner struggle. One that only she can deal with.

I hear the door slam and my shoulders relax.

"Is…her humanity _is_ off, isn't it?" Elena asks. Her voice sounds like the very thought gives her unimaginable pain.

"No." They all look at me with puzzled faces. "If her humanity was off she would've ripped _every_ human in here apart, limb from limb without any remorse. We just saw Mia fight herself to leave the house so she _wouldn't_ hurt anyone." I tell them as I pour some Bourbon.

* * *

 _ **Mia** POV:_

I moan as my fangs sink through the flesh of some hot human I picked up. I compelled her not to scream. I stop when I feel her grip on me loosen, fully aware that she's weakened from blood loss. I pull away to bite my wrist and shove my blood down her throat. I force her to face me, "Now get the hell out of here before I kill you." I growl, flashing my fangs. I don't even bother to wipe the blood from my face. I'm going to kill her anyway. It's just fun to chase them for the kill.

I'm just about to tackle the girl who's running for her dear life, when someone grabs my collar and holds me in place.

" _Katherine_." I growl.

"Now, now. You say my name with such _hostility_ , it makes it sound ugly." I can hear the smirk in her voice.

"Let me go."

"You're cut off. You've already killed _four_ other girls along this trail, let's not make that one the fifth."

"Why do you care? This is _nothing_! I've done so much worse!"

I finally manage to free myself from Katherine's grasp.

"We all have. But you may want to think twice before turning into a ripper again."

I scoff, "Like you care…"

"And here I was thinking we moved past your outrageous assumptions of me." Katherine sighs.

"What is it that you want, Katherine? Remind me why I shouldn't drive a stake through your heart." I growl stepping closer to her in a threatening manner.

Before I realize what was happening, Katherine invaded my personal space and began stroking my cheek gently. My breath hitched and my body freezes.

"Because…even after all these years, you're still in love with me. You couldn't kill me the other day even after I threatened Elena, could you?"

"I'm not in love with you, Katherine. Not anymore. I _can't_ be." I say the last words softly.

"What really surprises me though," she continues with a smile, completely ignoring my last statement, "Is that after _everything_ , you're still afraid to let go with me." Katherine finishes. Her eyes bore into mind and I must turn away to break the tension between us.

"What do you want, Katherine?" I repeat my question from earlier, emphasizing every word.

" _You_." She giggles.

"Sorry. I'm out of business."

"Like I said, I can wait. Believe it or not, that's not what I want to talk about."

"Well it better be good. You let my dinner get away." I say after I look behind me and see no trace of the girl.

"You had your dinner with the other four girls you _seduced_ , then ripped apart." There's a bit of bitterness to her voice. _Jealousy_?

"I'm a vampire. It's what we do. You taught me that in 1864, remember? I'm just doing what you taught me. You should be proud."

She catches my wrist, "I was _wrong_ to teach you that. Knowing your struggles, I should have known it would lead you to being a ripper."

I stare at her in confusion. Why would someone as ruthless as Katherine care if I'm a ripper or not?

"Why do you care, Katherine? It's not the first time I've gone off the rails, and it won't be the last. It's just the first time it wasn't over _you_."

For once, Katherine looks caught off guard. She wasn't expecting me to say that.

"What? Surprised that for years I couldn't get you out of my head? That I committed horrible acts of sin on those _stupid_ humans in your name? I blamed _them_! I even killed my own father for you!" I can't stop my eyes filling with unwanted tears.

"There's a lot you don't understand, Mia. A lot even I don't understand. But even if you don't believe my love for you, at least believe me when I tell you I do care for you. Before you were my lover, you were my _friend_."

"Yeah. A friend you manipulated and lied too."

"Let me make it up to you, then." I'm taken aback by her statement. Since when does Katherine want to make something up to someone?

"Look, I already told you Katherine, I don't want a relationship with you. You don't have to make it up. There's nothing you can offer me."

I turn to walk away.

"Mia! Just…just wait. We don't have to be together but at least let us be partners. I'm telling you this because you were right…I didn't just come back here for you. You were just a bonus."

 _So what is she playing at? Am I supposed to just believe that the devil may care after all…?_

"I knew it!" I exclaim. "So, what was it, huh?"

"I don't trust you won't tell Stefan and Damon. I need to make sure your humanity is on. That way at least I know I'm dealing with the _real_ Mia."

I roll my eyes.

"My humanity isn't off, Katherine."

"Not fully, no. Damon called me. From Mason's phone. He told me how you and him tortured Mason and then you ripped out his heart. Out of anger, I retaliated."

"For _Mason_? What did you do?" I ask.

"I compelled Elena's aunt to stab herself." My heart drops. Everything is quiet, except for the crickets chirping in the grass, and the slight breeze making the tree branches shake.

I don't even remember doing it, but suddenly I'm on top of Katherine. My fist connected with her jaw twice before I'm being flipped over. Katherine has me pinned beneath her.

"Feel that? That's _anger_. Now I'm certain you have your humanity."

"You're a monster!" I scream. I try struggle beneath her, trying to free myself from her body on top of mine.

"I've done no more than you. Jenna will be fine. Stop acting like I've killed her." Katherine pushes more of her weight against me making it harder for me to struggle.

"But Elena-!"

"Is _untouched_. Elena and Jeremy are alive and well. All I'm asking for is a little quid pro quo."

"What do you want?" I sigh in defeat.

"Just for us to be secret partners. You have my back and I'll have yours. Elena, Jeremy, and Jenny by extension."

I stay silent, very aware of our position. This can easily be perceived as _sexual_. I notice how hard I'm breathing, but luckily Katherine has chosen to ignore our intimate position.

"Okay. I'll do it."

Katherine's reaction is instant. I choose to ignore her sexy smirk and that mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You know, I always close my deals with a kiss." My breath hitches at her words. I see I've awoken her seductive side.

If the sudden increase in my body temperature was anything to go by, I'd say I was slightly turned on.

"Do you?" My voice is deep and husky, a clear sign of my arousal.

"Mhm," Katherine nods as she closes the gap between our faces. She pauses just before our lips meet. I want nothing more than for her to kiss me. I know she was testing to see if this was something we both want, and it is.

Our lips meet with a heated passion, both of our hearts being poured into this kiss. My tongue tangles against Katherine's as we battle for dominance. Eventually, I win after Katherine let's out a content sigh. _God,_ _this_ _feels_ _so_ _good_ …

I moan when she sucks my bottom lip.

My hands found their way around Katherine's side, moving them up her sides.

Then it stopped. Before I can even register what happened, I hear Damon calling me.

I sit up. _Where's_ _Katherine_ …?

"Damon?" I ask once I see him walking up to me.

"Mia, I've followed your scent for a long time. I found those girls you killed—what was left of them anyway. I moved them out of sight." He sighs. I can feel his eyes searching me for any hint of my humanity.

"It's on. My humanity is on, Damon. There's no need to stare at me like I'm going to kill someone if you look away…" I mumble as I raise myself up from the ground.

"Mia…there is nothing in this world that can describe how sorry I am. It was a selfish thing to do. I shouldn't have suggested that." I can hear the softness in his voice and my eyes soften.

"Don't worry about it, little bro."

I give him a soft smile before speeding away. My surroundings are a blur as I move quickly through the town. It's a clear night, so the stars are bold and bright. Mystic Falls is a small town, so there aren't many street lights in the residential area. I didn't even think where I was going, I just went. Trusting my sub consciousness to find my way back home, I zoned out through most of it.

I found myself standing in front of Elena's home.

I remember reading once that your heart always finds its way back home. _Elena_ …

I see my red mustang in the driveway and I know Damon must've drove it over.

My eyes automatically find Elena's window checking to see if she left it open for me. She did.

Then I remember what I did to Jeremy and realized an apology is much needed.

So, I decide to hop in his window instead.

He's up listening to music, lying on his back with his eyes closed. I stare at all the junk thrown around his room.

 _He really should consider cleaning in here_ …

I walk over to him, carefully trying not to step on anything. I stand beside him and snatched off his headphones.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm all _me_ …" I tell him after he was reaching for the wooden stake on his nightstand.

"Then what is it?" He asks annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I didn't mean to hurt you. I wasn't myself, please, I hope you can forgive me…" I suck at apologizing...

"No one blames you, Mia. Damon knew the risks and yet he still encouraged you to turn your humanity off. He's the one at fault."

"No. I'm the older sister. I should know right from wrong. Place the blame on me. I did _this_." I say gesturing to his bruised neck.

"The ripper you did this. That's not who you are. And I was always taught to help the ones you love. Damon didn't do that tonight. He was wrong."

"Damon apologized at least. That's more than he usually does. But honestly, he didn't mean for it to go that far. We got lost in finding this stupid moonstone we didn't think twice about my humanity."

"Just please…be careful next time, Mia. You're like an older sister to me. I don't want a ripper older sister." His words make my heart swell.

"I will, I promise. You're like a little brother to me…less annoying than Stefan and Damon, but still annoying."

He rolls his eyes, "Whatever, Mia. Go see my sister."

"Whoa! Not kicking me out are you, little bro?" I laugh.

"Well…yeah. I kick Elena out too, so it's okay." He chuckles.

"Oh, and Jeremy, since I'm like your older sister, does this mean I can boss you around? If so, clean this messy room, seriously. It looks like hurricane Katrina came through here…" I smirk before leaving his room.

I find myself standing in front of Elena's door. I'm scared to face her after what happened tonight.

I can hear sniffing behind the door and I know she's crying. My heart aches at the sound. I did this to her…

I knock on the door. Elena sniffs one last time before the sound of bare feet pads across the wooden floor.

The door opens to reveal a red eyed Elena with a red nose.

"Elena, I—" The words die in my throat as she pulls me in her room, wrapping me in a tight hug. My arms slowly wrap around her lower back and she cries silently into my shoulder.

I smooth her hair with my hands, pulling her close to me.

"I love you." Her voice is muffled in my jacket, but I could still hear her just fine.

"You have no idea how sorry I am, Lena. I love you so much…I hurt you tonight, I should've been able to stop—"

"No. You _did_ stop. You didn't hurt me, Mia." She's looking me in the eyes now.

"But I did. You seeing me like that was never apart of the plan. I could see how much it was hurting you, Elena. I'm so sorry…" I don't give her a chance to respond. Before I know it, I'm capturing her lips with my own and together they move in a desperate tango. It's different from how I feel kissing Katherine, but still great nonetheless.

Elena is the first to break the kiss, she's breathing heavily and her brown eyes have darkened considerably.

" _I want you_." Those three words are like music to my ears. Not as much as when she says 'I love you.'

But this is a close second.

I waste no time in slamming our lips back together. This time our kiss is heated and desperate. My hands roam her body as she's taking my jacket off. Our soft moans mingle together as we rush to take each other's clothes off.

Once she's completely naked, I push her down on the bed, earning a yelp from her followed with a giggle.

"Shh. Don't get us caught, Lena. Jeremy's next door." I smirk.

"Shut up and come here." She smirks. _God, she's driving me crazy_.

"As you wish."

(X)

* * *

I wake up in a haze. I'm still naked from making love to Elena last night and I see I've overslept because she's already gone to school.

My cell phone is ringing off the hook. I pick it up from the side table with a huff. My annoyance seemed to fade when I see it was Elena.

I answer almost immediately.

"Hello?"

" _Hey, Mia. Sorry I didn't wake you. You just looked so peaceful, I thought I'd let you sleep in_."

My body tingles at her voice. I can't help the smile playing on my lips.

"Thank god. I still don't understand why schools start so early." I chuckle.

" _You and me both. But I was calling to ask you a huge favor._ "

"Anything for my favorite Gilbert." I smile.

" _I feel special, yay!_ " She chuckles, " _I sort of left my lunch in the refrigerator. Would you mind bringing it? Lunch is in about an hour, if you don't mind_."

"Of course. I'll be there soon, okay?"

" _Thank you so much. You're a life saver! It's the turkey sandwich, and there's a small bag of potato chips on the counter._ "

"Anything to drink?"

" _Nah, I'll pick up something from the vending machine. Thank you! See you when you get here_!"

"No problem, Lena. I love you."

" _I love you more_." _Aww_ _she's_ _so_ _cute_. I smile before I hang up.

I glance at the clock and see it's 10:50am I'm guessing her lunch starts at 12pm, and it'll take me about 15 minutes to get there. Plus, I have to take a shower.

 _Welp. Time to get up_. I hum softly as I head into the bathroom.

(X)

* * *

"Turkey sandwich. Check. Bag of chips. Check. Surprise cookies. Check." I mumble to myself as I pack her lunch into her lunch bag. I check the time. _11_ : _35pm_.

I've got to get going…

Just as I open the door, I'm greeted with none other than Elena's very own doppelgänger, leaning casually on the door frame, sporting her signature smirk.

"Oh, _god_. Not you." I roll my eyes.

"Is that any way to treat your new partner in crime? I'm hurt."

"Yeah, random pop ups weren't in the memo." I sigh.

"Where are you headed?" She asks, ignoring my last statement.

"To bring Elena her lunch. I have to leave like… _now_ , so…" I walk past her.

"Good. I'll tag along then." She sends me a triumphant smirk.

"Nothing better to do? No more charming werewolves?" I mock.

"No. Just charming female Salvatore's." Katherine says with a wink. I roll my eyes at her antics.

"Get in. And don't fuck around and mess up my car…" I mumble as I open the door to my mustang.

Katherine hops in on the passenger's side and I pull off. Surprisingly, it's not weird or awkward at all.

The silence is relaxing. Katherine rolls down her window and sticks her hand out, feeling the wind as I sped down the road.

"So, I've been thinking…" Katherine starts.

"Oh no. That's never good." I groan.

"Hush. It's nothing bad." She says, waving her hand dismissively.

"Well, shoot."

"Damon and Stefan have the moonstone. I want it back."

"No way! Mason just said it's in a well. They can't have it, can they? Stefan and Damon wouldn't keep that from me. Maybe Stefan, but I don't think Damon would..." I respond.

"Well, they _do_ , and they _did_. When Damon called last night he bragged about how Mason hid the stone in a well full of vervain."

"So those two idiots have the moonstone, and they didn't tell me? _Why_?" My mind is racing. Why wouldn't they tell me?

"My guess is they don't trust you after you practically went off the rails again."

"But that's stupid—!"

"Think about it. The ripper you does what?"

"That's a dumb question, Katherine. I rip people apart. Without a single care in the world."

"Mhm, and _why_?"

"Because I get angry, and depressed."

"Yes, and why?"

"Because of _you_." My knuckles are white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.

" _Bingo_. I talked to Caroline. She said you lost control when Mason proclaimed his love for me. Which ended in his heart being ripped out."

"But that still doesn't mean anything, Katherine. They know I'm not in love with you."

"Do they? The same brothers who watched you hundreds of times cut off your humanity at the first sight of anything that reminded you of me? Everyone else knows you still love me. Why you're so keen on denial, I will never understand…"

I let out a growl before slamming my foot on the breaks.

"Because loving you is toxic and unhealthy, Katherine! You broke me." I whisper the last part. "You broke my heart." I fight the tears threatening to fall. She can't see my weakness, not here…not now.

"I already told you I—"

"You did what you had to do. Right. I know your excuses. Save them. Until you give me more than that, you can forget any—!"

"I was running from someone," She tells me softly. It's the first time she's ever actually admitted it. I stopped my little rant to stare at her.

"He courted me when I was human. I didn't know he was a creature of the night. When I found out…when I found out what he wanted from me, I ran. It was stupid of me, thinking I could out run them. One of them was in love with me, he lured them away and told me to go to this cottage. I went. Long story short, I turned into a vampire and ran. I ran for 500 years. I'm still running. He was on my trail in 1864, so I faked my death. You wanted the story? There, now you have it."

I sit speechless. I mean, I really have _nothing_ to say.

I know she's not lying. I can tell, and it would make sense. Why else would she fake her death? I figured she was running from something, but I didn't know the details.

"So, you ran…for 500 years? You never told me that Katherine! You should've told me that back then! Hell, I would've run with you!"

"You don't want to get caught up with that. Especially as a baby vampire you were. Besides, you had dreams. You couldn't have them while on the run with me." She tells me softly.

It's funny. This is the Katherine I miss. The one I loved. Why couldn't she be like this with everyone? Why only when we're alone?

"After the tomb was opened, I met with Anna. She told me she held some resentment towards me because I was the reason you all stayed in Mystic Falls, leading to her mother being caught. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Then show me." I pull her head towards me and slam my lips against hers.

Instantly, the scene changes. I look around.

I'm in 1864. Mystic falls…the home I remember.

I smile softly at the familiarity. The nostalgia.

" _We have to leave soon Katherine. Mystic Falls has become a hotspot for vampires, it's only a matter of time before_ he _catches up to us." Pearl tells her friend._

" _We can stay a bit longer." Is Katherine's dismissive reply. Her mind is elsewhere, staring off into the distance. I follow her gaze. She's looking at_ me _._

 _There's a small smile playing at the corners of her lips, and a dreamy look in her eye._

" _Seriously, Katherine?" Pearl lets out an annoyed sigh._

" _What? I told you…she's_ special _. I haven't felt like this since I was a human. I don't want to leave yet. I want to spend more time with her before I turn her."_

" _Are you bringing her along?"_

 _Katherine doesn't answer right away. Instead she stares off into the distance._

" _No. Mia deserves to do everything that she always wanted when she turns. Not being on the run from someone from my past."_

" _And you think she's going to let you go without a second thought? That girl loves you. She'll come after you, Katherine."_

" _No. I will find a way. I don't want her to spend her time following my trail. There's too much she wants to do. Chasing after me won't be one of them. I won't allow it."_

" _That's probably the most_ selfless _thing I've ever heard you say…"_

 _Katherine sighs, "Well, love will do that to a person…"_

I detached our lips with a gasp. 1864 fades away when our lips broke apart. Katherine is staring at me with her mouth slightly open.

 _So, Anna's hatred hadn't been misplaced._

If Katherine hadn't been so hung up on me, the whole thing with the founding families rounding up the vampires wouldn't have happened. All the vampires would have just left town…

" _You_ …how can you—?"

"I have to get this lunch to Elena." I say quickly.

I don't want to talk about it. She'll be looking for answers that I don't have. That I'm _afraid_ to know…

I start up the car without sparing Katherine a second glance. Luckily, she takes the hint and doesn't ask anymore questions.

(X)

* * *

I open the car door sporting a huge grin on my face. I don't even realize it until Katherine scoffs from beside me.

"I've met my Doppelgänger. She's not _that_ amazing." She mumbles.

"She is. I mean, she _really_ is…" I feel my smile forming again as I stare out the window, my eyes still trained on the school.

"Well, she's a copy so…" Is Katherine's annoyed reply.

"Is that _jealousy_ I hear? Whatever for, I mean, I'm practically complimenting you too." I tell her followed by a cheeky grin.

"Gosh, you're such a dork." I was surprised to hear Katherine say that, and with a smirk to match...

"You love it." I tease, sporting a smirk of my own.

Katherine shakes her head before facing the window again. But not before I saw her smile.

Shaking my head, I start my car. There's still a smile on my lips, even long after I pulled out of the school parking lot.

 _These Doppelgängers will be the death of me…and I'll love every second of it…_

"Why are we back at Elena's house?" Katherine asks. Her face is scrunched in a disdain and I have to let out a laugh. She's being absolutely ridiculous.

"Where else would we go? No one is here right now. We can't go to the boarding house to talk, and I don't trust public places. Too many eyes and ears everywhere. We're just gonna chill." She rolls her eyes at my words but decides to get out anyway.

We walk in and she flashes to the couch. Katherine looks around at her surroundings with a look that can be described as nothing but pure disgust. Like the very sight of being in Elena's living room made her sick.

I shake my head, choosing to ignore her facial expressions. I head into the kitchen for Alaric and Jenna's stash of bourbon.

 _Elena_ _told_ _me_ _where_ _it_ _was_ …

I poured Katherine a cup. I've been trying to minimize my intake on this stuff since I went crazy on it. I decide on soda instead. I walk back into the living room and handed the glass to her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." I say, flopping down on the couch opposite of Katherine, since she's stretched out, taking up the entire couch...

"I can't believe you fell in love with my _dull_ as a dishrag doppelgänger. I mean really, wasn't it you that found living a boring life _intolerable_? But here you are…" She takes a sip of her bourbon just as she finishes her sentence. As if the mere thought causes her need to drink.

I laugh, "She's not boring. Just because you find her lifestyle boring doesn't mean it actually is."

"It's not the fact that her lifestyle is boring, which it most certainly is, I'm just surprised that you fell for her…" There. I knew it was coming.

"She's an easy person to love, Katherine."

"So I've noticed." She says, "I just don't get it."

"Don't get what?" It's pretty easy to understand...

"Sometimes when you look at me, it's like we're back in 1864 and you're in love with me again. But the way you talk about Elena…you love her, and I'll admit, I'm fucking jealous that you do. I knew I fucked up with you. That much was obvious, and even if we aren't together, I miss you as my friend."

"I do love Elena. She keeps me from falling apart. But you, Katherine, you are the reason I fell apart in the first place. You say you did what you had to do, and I understand that now. But a friendship is built on trust, something we don't have anymore. Prove to me that I can trust you then maybe we have a shot at being friends."

"Are you going to the masquerade ball?" Katherine asks suddenly. Her random switch of the conversation didn't go unnoticed by me.

"I wasn't planning to. Why? Is something happening there?"

"Your brothers are supposed to hand over the moonstone. I sent the message with Caroline."

"And I suppose you want me to help?" I ask. I'm not surprised that Katherine would manipulate my brothers into giving her the moonstone. I'm a little bitter towards them right now. _How could they not tell me?_

"Of course, we're partners after all. Speaking of which, after the masquerade ball, you and I need to have a little chat. It's rather important, but it can wait." Katherine says her face plastered with her signature smirk.

"There's just one problem, though. How can I help if they won't even tell me they have the moonstone?"

"You're a smart girl, Mia-blue, you'll figure it out. I suspect they're up to something. Help me find out what it is. Even if you have to sneak around…"

 _For_ _Elena_ …

"As you wish. I'll do my best to find out what they're planning. So, what time is this masquerade ball?"

(X)

* * *

It's after 2pm when I pull up to the boarding house. I spent over an hour with Katherine in Elena's house. It probably wasn't the best idea to bring my ex girlfriend to my current girlfriends house, but there was nowhere else we would've been able to talk…

Is that what Elena is?

My _girlfriend_?

I let out a load sigh. This is starting to sound more and more like a repeat of 1864…

I quickly flash towards the door. There's a muffled conversation going on inside. Just before I reach the door I pause. Remembering my plan with Katherine, I decided to eavesdrop to see if I can gain any information.

"She wants to do it in public. Mia killing Mason threw her off guard." I hear Stefan's voice from inside.

She's running scared. What she did to Jenna was desperate. She's out of tricks." Is Damon's reply.

"We can't underestimate her. We have to play this smarter than her."

"Can't we just give her the moonstone so she can't leave?" I hear Caroline ask. Katherine did tell me she sent her message with Caroline.

"No, Katherine's not getting dick. I've had it. I'm gonna go to the masquerade ball and I'm gonna kill her, tonight." I chuckle a bit at Damon's snide remark.

 _Katherine's_ _not getting dick. Fucking hilarious_!

"You're not gonna kill her." Stefan tells him. That actually surprises me.

"Don't give me that goody-goody crap!"

"You're not gonna kill her." Stefan says again.

" _Really_?"

"Because I am." Stefan tells him.

 _Sorry_ _little_ _brothers_. _Neither_ _of_ _you_ _are_ …

I wait a few seconds before walking in. I'm hoping they just tell me their plan. Even if I won't betray Katherine, at least I know they would never hide anything from me.

I'm doing this to keep her safe. To keep her family safe…

Once I enter the boarding house everything is quiet. I walk towards the drawing room and see Damon sipping bourbon and reading a book. Stefan, I guess, has gone up to his room and Caroline is putting on her jacket.

"Hey." I say.

"Mia!" Caroline runs up and throws her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I'm so happy you're better. I was worried!" She says. I hug her back. She's a sweet girl…

"Thank you. I'm fine now. Sorry about yesterday."

"I understand. I do. But I have to go home now. I'll see you later?" She asks.

"Yeah, see you around."

Caroline smiles and flashes out of the house, leaving me and Damon alone in the drawing room.

"Damon." I nod as I walk past him towards the piano.

"Sister." He greets. I'm hoping he'll mention it to me. How they found the moonstone and how Katherine wants it tonight. Or even that he and Stefan plan to kill her.

He doesn't.

It's kind of funny. They blame Katherine for never being honest, but right now, she's the only one who is.

My irritation level is rising. I get up from the piano bench with a huff. It's best that I don't spend much time around Damon or Stefan right now.

"You're not going to play?" Damon asks not even looking way from his book for a moment.

"I was, but decided against it. I'll be back later." I mumble before flashing out of the house and into my Mustang.

Once I know I'm out of earshot from any vampires, I call Katherine.

"Now what could possibly have you calling less than an hour after we just saw each other? Did you miss me, Mia-blue?" Katherine's low seductive voice, sounding so much like Elena's, yet so different at the same time, teases me as soon as she picks up the phone. The use of my old nickname still sets me off somewhat. Especially now since I feel betrayed by my little brothers—my family.

"Don't call me that right now," I growl. "I have an update for you. Stefan and Damon do have the moonstone, but they don't plan on handing it over easy. They want to kill you, tonight."

"I figured as much. Did they tell you this, or..?" I know what she's asking. She wants to know if they've continued to go behind my back and keep me in the dark about this whole situation.

"No. They didn't tell me a _thing_ ," I sneer. My hands are gripping the steering wheel so tightly, I actually think I might rip it off. "I overheard them talking to Caroline."

"Thank you, blue. Seriously. Are you okay, though? You sound a little… _tense_."

"Yeah," I mumble. "I'm coming to see you, what's your address?"

I realize how suggestive that must sound, but in this moment, I really don't care.

"I'll text it to you now. I'll probably be getting ready for the masquerade by the time you get here."

My phone buzzes in my ear and I look to see what it was.

"I just got your text. I'll see you in a few…"

"Mhm, see you then, blue…" She replies.

As soon as I hang up, I go to her text to look at her address.

 _That's less than five minutes away_ …

It's funny to me that she's been staying so close this whole time.

I don't know if I should be worried that she's staying so close or not…

No. I probably shouldn't.

 _She was so close_ …

(X)

* * *

I walk to Katherine's room, nervous because I don't know what to expect.

I hear giggling.

 _Does she have another girl in here?_

I'd be lying if I said the idea didn't sting a bit. Men are one thing, but I didn't like the idea of any other girl with Katherine. Nope.

I bang on the door, practically knocking the door down, hoping to scare them.

"What in hell…" I hear Katherine's voice say.

There are sounds of shuffling, then footsteps moving quickly to the door.

The door flings open, revealing a very annoyed looking Katherine, who as it appears, is in the process of straightening her curly hair.

"Is that how you knock on people's doors?" Is the first thing she says. The annoyance clear on her face.

"Is that how you answer doors? Questioning how people knock?" I tease, smirking. She rolls her eyes before stepping aside to let me in her room.

There are bags everywhere—shopping bags to be exact. She's really going to overdue it for this masquerade, huh? I see a woman staring at me curiously. She's tall with brown skin, almond brown .eyes, and long dark hair.

' _Okay_ _Katherine_. _I see_ _you_ …' I think smirking. At least she's hot.

"She's just a friend, blue. Her name is Lucy. She's a witch. Lucy, this is Mia." Katherine sighs before turning back to the mirror to finish her hair. She must be able to sense how much I don't like this. Not one bit. She can mess around with guys all she wants, but no girls.

I'm _not_ jealous. I just don't like that idea...

"Nice to meet you, Lucy." I extend my hand to her.

"Mia, huh?" She smirks before reaching for my hand. As soon as she does, her eyes widen. She freezes.

 _Witches_ _are_ _weird_ …

"It's _you_ …" Lucy says. The only thing moving on her body is her lips. Everything is frozen solid.

This is creepy. What the hell is she talking about?

I try to take back my hand, but she has a tight grip on it. Katherine shifts uncomfortably from the corner of my eye. I turn my head towards her and she's looking at Lucy like she just said something she shouldn't have. The way she bites the inside of her jaw and her stiff posture says it all.

"Yes, Lucy. That's Mia. I stayed with her family here in 1864. I'm sure I mentioned her before." The way she says it almost sounds like she's hiding something…

Maybe Katherine told her about us being lovers and doesn't want Lucy to talk about it…

That seemed to shake Lucy out of whatever daze she was in.

"Of course, you mentioned her! This is Mia Salvatore, the 'one true love girl?'" Lucy laughs. Katherine growls and throws a random shoe at Lucy.

"Sorry about that, love. You're even hotter than she described. I see why she went crazy over you." Lucy says eyeing me up and down. I smirk. I know this is driving Katherine crazy.

"You're not too bad yourself, Lucy. Had I known someone as beautiful as you would be here I would've dressed up a little more." I send her a seductive smirk.

I'm dying on the inside! Teasing Katherine is too much fun.

Of course, Lucy is attractive, but she and I are just messing around right now. I have no real interest in her.

"All right! That's enough! I'm not going to sit and watch my ex flirt with my friend!" Katherine comes over and pulls me to sit in a chair on the other side of the room. Away from Lucy.

"I'm strictly dickly, Katherine. We were just teasing you." Lucy laughs.

"Too bad. Girls are fun. Especially this one." Katherine sends me a wink.

Oh, so now it's my turn to get teased, huh?

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" I ask, switching the subject.

"Well, have you actually seen the moonstone before? I always thought it was some made up legend." Lucy asks Katherine.

"I have seen it and I need _you_ to help me get it back."

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do with it?"

Lucy's question seemed to make Katherine uncomfortable. She shifts slightly in her feet and averts her eyes.

"You want me to break the curse." Lucy concludes with a sigh.

"Let's just get it first. All I really need from you is backup. I can't imagine that Damon and Stefan are just gonna hand it over without putting up a fight. And Mia heard them say they were planning to kill me."

"My brothers are stupid." I mumble.

"Yes, they are…"

(X)

* * *

So far, I've done a good job at staying hidden. The only people that know I'm here are Lucy and Katherine. I sigh as I ignore yet another one of Elena's calls. For her own safety, she can't know what's going on tonight.

I look at my phone and see that she's texted me.

' _I don't know what's going on…everyone's been avoiding me today. Even you and Jeremy…'_

I can't ignore her anymore.

' _Hey. I'm feeling a exhausted. Probably after everything that happened yesterday. I don't know where my brothers are. I've been in bed…'_

I cringe at my lie. I really don't like lying to her. Even if it's to save her life, I still hate it.

My phone buzzes again.

' _Caroline, Bonnie, and Stefan weren't even at school today. I've called them but no one is responding. I'm stuck home eating pizza and watching movies..'_

' _I'm sorry, love. If I had known earlier I would've stopped by and just slept over your house. I'm so tired. Probably gonna get some rest. I love you.'_ I reply.

' _Aww. Okay, Mia. Sleep well, love you too.'_

I smile. I really do love her. My mind is is still on Elena, I guess I forgot to keep track of my surroundings. Katherine comes up behind me and leans over the edge of the couch.

"You need to be paying attention. What if I was Stefan or Damon?"

"I'm sorry, I just got a little…distracted."

"I could see that. Anyway, I came to tell you to side with Stefan and Damon."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"When they try to kill me. Side with them. Anything less and they'll be suspicious." I open my mouth to protest but I couldn't find anything to say.

She has a valid point.

"So, you expect me to let them kill you?"

"Oh _honey_ , if you actually think I don't have a trick up my sleeve, I'm truly offended."

Of course, she does. Katherine always has a way of getting out of tight situations.

"Duly noted. Now get away from me before someone sees you." There's a gust of wind and I know Katherine flashed away. Probably to find my dear brothers.

I decide to get a glass of wine while I look for my brothers.

Let's get this show going…

I walk through several groups of masked people before I finally hear Stefan and Damon.

"I put the body in the trunk." Stefan says.

Katherine already killed someone?

"We'll dump her when we get back."

"This is exactly what I didn't want, Damon." Stefan sighs.

"Stefan, its collateral damage." Damon says dismissively. I'm still hidden. Silently listening.

"Right, which is why we need call this whole thing off."

"What? Who's hesitating now? Hey! Don't do this to me! This woman ruined our lives, she _destroyed_ us! Tonight, it ends. We can do it together. I got your back. All right?"

"What about Mia?" _Yeah, what about me?_

"She'll be happy to have that bitch gone. I know I will be."

"All right." Stefan agrees.

They walk away then. I'm tempted to follow them but my phone distracts me. _Please don't be Elena…_

I don't think I can lie to her anymore today.

It's Katherine.

' _Caroline says Bonnie has the moonstone. I had to use force to get it out of her.'_

"You guys are trying to kill her _here_?" My body freezes as my ears pick up the sound of Elena's voice.

 _Well, this just got interesting._

"We saw an opportunity and we knew we had to take it." That was Jeremy. So, little Gilbert is in on this too? Why am I not surprised?

"Okay, stop with the " _we_ ", are you guys crazy? You're going to get yourselves killed."

"We know what we're doing, Elena." Bonnie says.

"And how am I supposed to feel if one of you gets hurt because of me?"

"It's not just you anymore, Elena. She's messed with all of us. She has to be stopped." Jeremy tells her.

That gets me thinking…will we get through this night without anyone getting hurt? Or was this a plan doomed to fail before it even began?

' _Elena's here. She's talking with Jeremy and Bonnie."_

Katherine texts back almost instantly.

' _Oh, that's funny, because Caroline is walking me upstairs to where Bonnie is supposed to be now. Whatever they're planning, it's happening upstairs.'_

This is it.

' _I'll be there in a minute. I feel like I should go apologize to Elena for lying to her.'_

' _Forget_ _about_ _Elena_. _I need your head_ here _! Don't forget, side with Stefan and Damon on this one.'_

' _As you wish…'_

I sigh and slip my phone into my back pocket.

 _Here we go…._

My ears pick up a lot of commotion above where I'm standing. Seems like Katherine found Stefan and Damon.

I see Caroline walking down the steps with a smug expression. I turn my head so she won't see me. It'll cause more drama than I need.

Once she's down the steps she turns in the opposite direction of me. I take my chance before dashing up the stairs.

I reach the room and see Katherine being choked on the floor by Stefan. He raises his arm to stake her, that's when I decide to reveal myself.

"What _hell_ is going on?" They all stop and stare at me as I enter the room. Katherine smirks.

"Mia…"

"Save it. I've been here the entire time. I know what you're trying to do. I'm upset that you didn't think to tell me. So, I can be apart of killing this evil bitch." I growl the last part. Katherine knows this is all an act. She doesn't even look even a tad bit scared.

"You want in? Okay, do the honors." Damon says as he hands me the stake.

I take it, I'm trying my best to put on a good act as I walk closer and closer to where Stefan had Katherine pinned to the ground.

" _Good_ _riddance_." I say through clenched teeth.

"Stop! You're hurting Elena! Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena!" I freeze in mid air. I have to hide the relief on my face. I know I wasn't going to stab her. I would probably just freeze up.

Stefan let's go of Katherine and she shoots up off the ground with a smile.

"You think you two are the only ones with a witch on your side? _Wrong_ and something tells me that my witch is better than your witch." She had Lucy link her to Elena.

I'm more surprised than pissed. She knew no one would dare touch her if it meant sacrificing Elena.

 _That woman sure knows how to survive…_

She takes the stake from my hands with a smirk.

Stefan looks at Jeremy, "Jeremy, go check on Elena. Make sure she's okay. Go!"

"Let's all make sure poor Elena is okay. Just a little bit more _pressure_." She uses the stake to cut her arm. I love before even thinking. I growl at her after slapping her arm and knocking the stake out of her hand.

Hopefully she understood. That was a warning.

 _Don't hurt Elena._

Her eyes narrow and then she smirks.

Katherine takes the stake again. "This is _really_ gonna hurt." She's about to stab herself in the stomach before Damon yells at her to wait.

"Okay. So, how about that moonstone?"

I roll my eyes. Am I seriously stuck in here with the three of them?

Fuck my life…

"The four of us together just like old times. The brother who loved me too much, the brother who didn't love me enough, and the sister who loved to play games." Katherine sits with her legs crossed like she owns the place.

"And the evil slut vampire who only loved herself." Damon sneers.

"What happened to you, Damon? You used to be so sweet and polite."

"Oh, that Damon died a _long_ time ago."

"Good. He was a bore." She sighs.

"Oh, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other?" I tell them. They bicker like siblings.

"Where's the moonstone?" Katherine asks looking between Stefan and Damon.

"What do you want with it?" Stefan pipes in.

"Does Elena enjoying having all of you worship at her alter?" Oh god. You just had to go there, didn't you?

"That was really desperate, Katherine. Don't you think that we can see right though you?" Stefan's voice is calm, but there's an edge to it. That comment bothered him more than he lets on.

"So, it doesn't bother you that Damon and Mia are _both_ in love with your girlfriend?"

"Oh, stop it."

"Or what?" Katherine gets up from her seat and stalks closer to Stefan. "You'll hurt me? Come on, Stefan give it everything you got. Everything I feel, Elena feels. So, go ahead."

She looks in my direction with a smirk plastered on her face. "Or better yet, kiss me, Mia. She'll feel that too."

"You know, this whole Mason thing has me a bit confused. Why a werewolf? The moonstone can break a curse that would help them destroy all vampires so what's in that for you?"

Hearing Stefan ask that question made me realize how much I _didn't_ ask. I was asking the wrong questions. If it had been anyone else…I would have—I wouldn't have hesitated. What is it about Katherine that has me so… _stumped_?

"Sorry about your pet wolf, probably should have kept him on a tighter leash."

"I'll have to remember that for next time. He's not the only wolf in town."

That takes me back to something she said before…

 _The werewolf gene runs in the Lockwood family, not that they're all wolves…_

That leaves…

" _Tyler_." I mumble aloud. Apparently, Stefan and Damon missed what I said, but I know Katharine caught it. I could tell just by the smile she gave me.

"Damn it! Where is that witch?!" Damon's outburst breaks through my thoughts.

"We could play charades." Katherine says casually.

"You bargained the moonstone." Stefan says suddenly with a soft smile of his own. Like a child who finally figured out an answer to a puzzle.

"What are you mumbling about over there?" Damon asks, giving Stefan his full attention.

"When you struck a deal with George Lockwood, to help you fake your death, you told us that you gave George something that he needed. It was the moonstone, wasn't it?" I'm impressed. That does make a lot of sense. Way to go little bro.

"Good job, Stefan. Two plus two. One would almost think you're as smart as Mia. And the plan would have worked except that people found out I wasn't in the tomb." She looks at Damon.

"Thanks to _you_ , by the way. Have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me has been?" Katherine asks. Her eyes bore into Damon who just gives her a tight lipped mocking smile.

"You and me both, honey."

"Why do you need it back now?" I ask.

"I love you in that outfit. You look _hot_." She smirks.

I choose to ignore her comment. _It means nothing._

"What were you doing with it in the first place?" I shoot out another question.

"You're wasting your breath, Mia." Damon sighs.

"Unless it wasn't hers to begin with. In 1864, you faked your death. Who were you running from, Katherine?" Stefan chimes in. You can practically see the wheels turning in his brain.

"In 1987 you were both in Chicago, at a concert of all places with that _wench_ , Lexi. It was right after she got Mia under control again," I stare at her with my mouth hanging open.

"Don't look so surprised, Mia. Of course I checked in on you over the years. You three were standing in the front row, dancing all night. You were watching Bon Jovi and I was watching _you_." That last part was directed towards me. She giggles a bit at my expression. I can only imagine how stupid I probably look.

"Who were you running from?" I ask her softly. She giggles, while hitting her finger.

"I _love_ _you_." She mouths before sending me a smirk.

I sigh. This is getting nowhere. I throw my hands up in the air before flopping down on the couch.

"We're missing the party. I'll have one of those." She says to Damon who is currently pouring a glass.

"Right away Miss Katherine." He mimics the voice of a servant boy before pouring her a glass. Damon walks over and hands it to her.

"Thank you."

Just as the glass touches her lips, Damon grabs her and slams her against the wall. He tries to stake her.

I've never moved so quickly in my life. I rush over to him and grab his arm.

"You're going to hurt Elena. Control yourself."

"No, Damon. _Don't_ control yourself." Katherine mocks.

"The second the spell is lifted, I'm gonna drive this stake through your heart!" He growls.

"God, you guys are hot, when did you get so hot?"

Before any of us can respond, Lucy comes in the room. Thank goodness. They are driving me crazy.

"Katherine, the spell on this room has been broken. You are free to leave." Lucy tells her.

I notice she has a funny looking rock in her hand. This must be the moonstone…

"Thank god." Katherine let's out a sigh of relief.

"When I hand this over my debt to you is paid."

"Done."

"I owe you nothing."

"I said done. Now give it."

Lucy gives Katherine the moonstone. When Katherine touches it, she begins heaving like she can't breathe.

Lucy cursed the moonstone…

"You should have told me another witch was involved. She's a _Bennett_ witch, Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that."

My mouth hangs open. I didn't expect Lucy to…she turned on Katherine. What the fuck?

"Wait, Elena!" Stefan yells after her.

"Elena's fine. The spell is broken, she'll heal quickly. Bonnie's with her."

Katherine is on the floor suffocating. It looks horrible. The thought of suffocating always seemed like an almost unbearable way to die…even though, she won't die from it. But still…the feeling of not breathing but still being conscious and just waiting for it to end…it's horrible.

"I apologize for my involvement." I bite down on my jaw. I want to yell at her, even kill her for betraying us, but I can't.

Katherine falls unconscious by my feet. Lucy walks out without sparing me a glance.

"What are we going to do with her?" I ask, gesturing to an unconscious Katherine.

"Now that I think about it…we should throw her in the tomb. Let her suffer. Would you like to come with me, Mia? She's messed you up just as much as me."

"I'll…yes, why not? I'm…gonna go check on Elena…"

This whole night threw me off guard.

I practically rush out of the room. I hear Damon ask Stefan if I seemed a little off to him, but I really don't care. I need to catch Lucy.

I move fluidly through groups of people. Practically moving like water around them. I catch a glimpse of Lucy on the other side of the yard. _She's_ _leaving_.

I take my opportunity and speed up behind her.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't rip you to shreds." I growl. She chuckles.

"You wouldn't want to risk becoming a ripper again, now would you?" She mocks.

"She trusted you." I tell her. My eyes hardened as I stare at her. I can feel my teeth protruding as they form into a sharp point.

"And she should have. Everything would have been fine if she told me there was another witch involved."

"That's not a good enough reason. She didn't hurt Bonnie." I growl.

"You have so much _anger_. All that aggressiveness. I mean come on, even the little things set you off. I'm not surprised _considering_ …" she trails off. That peaked my interest.

"Considering what? That I'm a vampire who can rip your heart out faster than it beats?"

"You're so much _more_. I knew from the moment I touched your hand. You're _special. Y_ ou'll find out soon enough." That made my mind race. Does this have anything to do with the fact that during certain times I can see memories through a kiss? No. It can't be. She said my aggressive behavior and my anger. That's something different entirely.

"What? What does that even mea—?"

"Mia!" Elena's voice calls from behind. I turn around and see her running towards me. Once I look back at Lucy, she's already getting in her car.

I run towards Elena.

"You told me you were sleeping." She sounds hurt.

"I was…what you said got to me. You weren't the only person they kept in the dark about this. I only just found out about their plan to kill her when I walked in and found them both fighting her." This is the lie I have to tell. Otherwise, everyone will be wondering how I knew about any of this to begin with.

"Are you okay?" She asks me. I shake my head in disbelief.

"After all the shit you've gone through tonight, _you_ ask me how I feel?" I chuckled.

"How do you feel, Elena? Are you still in any pain?"

"No. Bonnie healed the pain, and I think the wounds are healing."

"You should go see a doctor anyway." I tell her.

"God, you sound so much like Stefan. He literally just said that less than 10 minutes ago." She laughs. Seeing her laugh is just what I needed. I pull her close to me and nuzzle my head into her shoulder.

"I love you." I tell her.

"I love you too."

Once we pull apart we both start walking towards the mansion again. I think my heart nearly came back to life once I felt her hand grab mine. We walk side by side, our fingers laced together, back to the Lockwood mansion. I'm sure I was grinning the whole way.

"Are you riding home with anyone? I have to go with Damon to throw Katherine in the tomb."

"Oh yeah. No, I drove. I'm driving myself home too." She tells me.

"All right. Be careful, okay? I love you."

"I will. I love you too. Good night, Mia." She gives me a quick kiss before walking away to her car. I smile as I watch her walk away.

Lucy's words still play at the back of my mind…

 _You're so much more…I knew from the moment I touched you. You're special…_

What did she even mean by that? Apparently, whatever it is has something to do with my aggressiveness. Yeah, it's called being pissed off _…_

 _I still think there's more too it. I probably would've ignored her comment but Mason even told me that I'm different. That I_ smell _different than any vampire he's ever come across...I'm sure he knew what he was talking about. He was a dog after all. And what do dogs do? The sniff, they go by smell._

 _I wish I knew what all these meant..._

(X)

* * *

Damon and I brought Katherine's body back to the ruins of Fells church. Damon was the one who put her in there. Now, we're just standing around waiting for her to wake up.

I'm leaning casually against the wall with my arms folded and my eyes closed.

I hear her stir. She sees the moonstone beside her and grabs it. Katherine gets up to walk out of the tomb but hits a force field.

"Hello, Katherine." Damon grins.

"Where am I?" She asks. I push myself off the wall and walk into her view.

"Where you should've been all along. I hope you learned your lesson." I tell her. I must play the part, I keep reminding myself. Anything less and they'll get suspicious.

"You two should've killed me."

"Death would have been too kind." Damon tells her.

He moves to close the tomb.

"No! Damon wait! Mia, listen! You need me! Elena's in danger." My eyes narrowed. Is this what she wanted to talk about earlier?

"From who?" I ask.

Of course she doesn't answer.

"You're lying. You're always lying!" I yell.

"Why do you think I haven't killed her yet? She's the doppelgänger. She needs to be _protected_."

"Then I'll protect her while you rot in hell." I sneer. I wish Damon weren't here so we can really talk about what she means.

"No, Damon, don't! I'll do anything, please. Damon! You need me! Mia! You need me! You all need me!" Damon doesn't hesitate as he closes the tomb. I hear her crying as she hits the tomb door hard. Damon just walked out and I wait until I know he's far enough to talk to her.

"I'm sorry, Katherine. It was either this or death. Calm down. I'll find away to get you out eventually. I'll even stop by to give you blood. Just sit tight. I gotta go." I know she heard me because her sobs have stopped, now replaced by sniffles. Once I'm out of the ruins, I walk over to the car and get in the passenger's side.

"I bet you're on cloud 9 right now. The Bitch that ruined our lives, locked away in a tomb. I count this as a win, sister." He smirks. I have to force out a laugh.

"Definitely. I just can't stop thinking about what she said though. She said Elena's in danger…"

"Katherine is _lying_. That's all she does. She probably came out the womb lying."

I know Katherine well enough to know she wasn't lying. Not this time. And if that's anything to go by, then something is coming for Elena. Sooner rather than later.

"Yes, perhaps you're right."

"Elena's at home probably resting. Her wounds are healing and she's sound asleep. Everything is fine, even better now that Katherine is gone."

"I know. And you're right."

My gut doesn't agree. My gut tells me that Katherine told us _exactly_ what was going to happen. _I'm_ _exhausted_ …

Even now, with my eyes heavy, I can't shake the feeling. I'm willing to bet _everything_ that she wasn't lying…

But if it hadn't happened after all this time, I'm sure it won't happen in just a few hours. I think it's okay to rest…

Boy, how wrong I was…

* * *

 _ **Hope you enjoyed! I'm sure I'll be able to update a lot sooner now that school is done. Love you all! Don't forget to comment! And send those suggestions too. Come on, I know you have them! XD**_


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